Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title United States Code, of the Rule Submitted By the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Relating to ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Threatened Status with Section 4(D) Rule for the Northern Distinct Population Segment and Endangered Status for the Southern Distinct Population Segment''
Floor Speech
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Mr. BUDD. Madam President, I rise today to highlight the desperate need to cut redtape and to get America building again. When I go all around North Carolina and I meet with builders and contractors, I am told by them that it is too hard to build and to complete critical projects in the United States and in North Carolina right now.
We are struggling to build the infrastructure we need to achieve energy dominance, to bridge the digital divide, and to attract good- paying, reliable manufacturing jobs back to our shores.
The primary stumbling block in this effort is one of our government's own making. Radical environment groups are going well beyond what is necessary to ensure a clean environment. They are weaponizing the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, to indefinitely delay critical projects by filing frivolous lawsuits.
Now, I hail from a State that cares deeply about the environment: clean air, clean water, a livable planet. I believe Americans of all political stripes share that goal. However, the changing dynamics of global commerce and the global threat environment require Congress to make it easier to secure our energy security, to export our vast energy resources to keep our allies' energy safe, and to give our industries a chance to compete against China.
What Congress must do is to add a ``shot clock,'' if you will, to NEPA reviews and limit opportunities for repetitive lawsuits that cause these very important projects to sit idle. We should follow the example of our House colleagues and pass legislation focused on unleashing American gas and oil production, expanding our capacity to export liquefied natural gas, and easing the path for other forms of energy like nuclear to come online and to keep America competitive in the 21st Century global economy.
I stand ready to work with all of my colleagues on solutions to get America back in the business of building large projects and tackling large problems.
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