Fixing NEPA to Build America’s Future

The National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, was meant to ensure thoughtful planning for federal projects. But over the past several decades, it has become a tool for delay, not protection. Environmental reviews that once took months now stretch into years, blocking pipelines, power lines, and housing developments. What began as a framework for accountability has too often turned into a barrier to progress—stalling jobs, raising costs, and weakening America’s ability to compete.

Now, the House Natural Resources Committee is advancing a long-overdue reform. H.R. 4776, the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act, aims to bring clarity and speed back to the permitting process. Introduced by Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), the bill focuses on practical changes: narrowing the scope of environmental reviews to actual, measurable impacts instead of speculative concerns, setting clear timelines for decisions, and limiting frivolous lawsuits that tie projects up in court for years.

This is not about ignoring the environment. It’s about treating it with respect—not by halting development, but by guiding it wisely. Responsible stewardship means building infrastructure that supports families, fuels communities, and strengthens national resilience. When we delay energy projects, we don’t save trees—we raise electricity bills, hurt rural economies, and increase dependence on unstable foreign sources. That’s not sustainability. That’s sacrifice without purpose.

The SPEED Act puts decision-making where it belongs: with federal agencies that understand the technical and strategic needs of infrastructure, not with activist groups or courts that prioritize delay over delivery. It ensures that environmental concerns are considered—but not at the cost of progress. The goal is not to bypass oversight, but to make it meaningful. A review that lasts 18 months because of procedural challenges is not effective. A review that takes 90 days, based on facts and data, is.

This reform also supports American leadership. As China and Russia expand their energy and manufacturing capabilities, the U.S. cannot afford to fall behind. Clean energy, critical minerals, and power infrastructure are not just environmental issues—they are national security priorities. Every day we wait to build, we lose ground. Every year of delay weakens our economy and our influence.

There is growing bipartisan recognition that NEPA needs fixing. Even some Democrats have voiced concerns about how the current system slows down essential projects. The committee is working to refine the bill with thoughtful amendments, ensuring it balances accountability with action. The goal is not to eliminate environmental review, but to make it work.

This moment is about reclaiming American momentum. It’s about building roads that connect towns, power lines that bring light to homes, and energy systems that keep our nation strong. It’s about trusting our engineers, our planners, and our communities to do their jobs without being blocked by endless legal hurdles.

The SPEED Act is not a radical overhaul. It’s a correction. It’s a return to common sense. When we build responsibly, we protect the land, the people, and the future. That’s the kind of environmentalism that lasts.

Let’s stop letting fear of the future stop us from building it. Let’s stop letting bureaucracy replace leadership. America’s best days are ahead—but only if we choose to move forward with courage, clarity, and purpose.

Published: 11/18/2025