Capito, Sullivan Work to Overturn Biden's Onerous NEPA Rules, Save Historic Infrastructure Investments

Press Release

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, joined her colleague Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) in introducing S.J. Res. 55, a joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA). With all 48 of their Senate Republican colleagues, the senators are moving to nullify the Biden administration's new regulation, "National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementing Regulations Revisions," that will further bog down the already-onerous federal environmental review process and add further delay to building vital infrastructure projects and putting hard-working Americans back to work.

"One of the biggest complaints I hear from contractors back home is the NEPA environmental review process--a lengthy and expensive labyrinth of federal bureaucracy. Because of the Biden administration's NEPA policy, all the projects we just invested into with the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act are now being bungled in red tape. The administration seems determined to make it as difficult as possible to actually build any infrastructure," Ranking Member Capito said. "That's why I'm proud to join with my friend Senator Sullivan in this common sense resolution. We need environmental review process reform in this country now."

"I want to thank all of my Republican colleagues for cosponsoring this resolution. A broad coalition in Congress last year included commonsense permitting reforms in the bipartisan infrastructure bill to ensure that projects wouldn't be stalled by endless review and delay," said Senator Sullivan. "Remarkably, those important provisions to cut federal red tape, supported by America's workers, are now being killed by the Biden administration's new NEPA regulations. The bridges and roads, pipelines and tunnels, ports and runways that American taxpayers were promised will now suffer from an increasing regulatory quagmire. It doesn't have to be this way. When NEPA was originally enacted, the average environmental impact statement took less than a year to complete. Today, the average EIS takes four to six years to complete at a cost of several millions of dollars. My resolution will work to end this bureaucratic stagnation. Because of the provisions of the Congressional Review Act, my Senate Democratic colleagues will have to vote and make a choice: Will they capitulate to the far-left radical environmentalists, or will they stand with the American people and the hard-working men and women of this country who build the vital hard infrastructure projects we need? There won't be any hiding from this vote. It will be very interesting to see who my Democratic colleagues stand with. I know who I stand for: the men and women who build our country."

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