GRAY ISSUES STATEMENT ON FEDERAL PERMITTING REFORM AGREEMENT

Congressman Adam Gray (CA-13) issued the following statement after Senate leaders announced the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026:

"Reaching an agreement on permitting reform is an important and long-overdue first step toward fixing a broken process that has held back our ability to build things again in the Central Valley and across the country. I hear from folks in my district about the need for reforms to environmental laws like NEPA, CWA, and ESA, and this package delivers on all three.

In my district, we've seen firsthand how important projects can take years to get built because they are held up by duplicative environmental permits, litigation, and other procedural delays. The Los Banos Creek Detention Dam Project - which expands an existing reservoir to allow for storage, groundwater recharge, and conveyance - was first proposed in 2012 but construction didn't begin until the end of 2025. I attended the ribbon cutting at the beginning of this year. No project that takes six months to build should take over a decade to permit.

It's not just water projects that are being held up. Streamlining regulations and cutting through red tape allows America to remain competitive in infrastructure and energy reliability on the global scale.

Getting a bipartisan deal across the finish line will take continued work, but these types of projects can't wait. Congress needs to take this up immediately upon its return to Washington."

BACKGROUND:

• Introduced the CURRENT Actto reform the Section 401 process under the Clean Water Act to provide greater certainty, transparency, and consistency in federally licensed hydro projects.
  • Provisions of this legislation that will help deliver long sought after reforms and wins for the Central Valley are included in this announced bipartisan permitting reform package
• Introduced the Valley Water Protection Act and secured its inclusion as part of the bipartisan committee passed ESA Amendments Act
• Helped pass the SPEED ACT to simplify NEPA review and limit lawsuits that have slowed projects under previous laws
• Introduced the CERTAIN Act to streamline the review process and create more transparency