Environment Subcommittee Advances Clean Air Act Permitting Bills to Full Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, led a markup of several bills to reform permitting under the Clean Air Act.

"No one questions that the Clean Air Act has been important in helping to improve air quality since the law was first enacted more than half a century ago. However, the law has not been significantly amended since 1990 and has not kept pace to meet the economic and security risks facing this country," said Chairman Palmer. "The commonsense permitting reforms contained in these seven bills are needed to improve the Clean Air Act so the United States can continue to be the world leader in economic prosperity, technological innovation, and environmental quality."

Legislative Vote Summary:

• H.R. 6409, the Foreign Emissions and Nonattainment Clarification for Economic Stability (FENCES) Act, was reported to the full committee, by a roll call vote of 14 Yeas to 11 Nays.
• H.R. 4218, the Clean Air and Economic Advancement Reform (CLEAR) Act, was reported to the full committee, by a roll call vote of 14 Yeas to 10 Nays.
• H.R. 6387, the Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events (FIRE) Act, was reported to the full committee, by a roll call vote of 13 Yeas to 10 Nays.
• H.R. 4214, the Clean Air and Building Infrastructure Improvement Act, was reported to the full committee, by a roll call vote of 12 Yeas to 10 Nays.
• H.R. 161, the New Source Review Permitting Improvement Act, was reported to the full committee, by a roll call vote of 12 Yeas to 11 Nays.
• H.R. 6373, the Air Permitting Improvements to Protect National Security Act, was reported to the full committee, by a roll call vote of 12 Yeas to 10 Nays.
• H.R. 6398, the Reducing and Eliminating Duplicative Environmental Regulations (RED Tape) Act, was reported to the full committee, by a roll call vote of 12 Yeas to 10 Nays.

Watch the full markup here.

Below are key excerpts from today's markup:

Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01) on H.R. 4218, the Clean Air and Economic Advancement Reform (CLEAR) Act: "This is not about choosing between the environment and development. This is about common sense. We should not penalize states that are impacted by events out of their control, and they should not be penalized for taking action to prevent exceptional events. Georgia is a top state for business in America. It has been for 12 years. Even with our growth, Georgia's air has never been cleaner since monitoring began years ago. As our witnesses stated in legislative hearing we had on this bill, if we give our state officials the time they truly need to implement regulations, while also ensuring that they are not punished for background levels from natural sources, we can have lasting, meaningful policy and economic growth."

Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) on H.R. 6409, the Foreign Emissions and Nonattainment Clarification for Economic Stability (FENCES) Act: "Back home in my district in the Permian Basin, we saw this play out recently when the Biden EPA floated a possible non-attainment designation that created real uncertainty. Even the hint of non-attainment sends a signal that permits could slow down, costs could rise, and long-term planning becomes harder for producers and communities alike at no fault of their own. That experience made it clear that these designations are too consequential to get wrong. Local communities should not be burdened by regulatory consequences tied to emissions that come from foreign sources or unavoidable natural events. The FENCES Act levels the playing field, sets the table for fairness, and it's about giving states regulatory certainty. It's about keeping American industries competitive while still upholding environmental standards."

Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13) on H.R.6398, the RED Tape Act: "This bill eliminates the requirement for the EPA to conduct a duplicative review and publicly comment on other agencies Environmental Impact Statements. This legislation keeps in place the initial environmental review required for federal projects and regulations under NEPA. It simply eliminates a bureaucratic and redundant secondary review that only serves to further delay the permitting and construction of critical projects. In order for America to remain competitive in the global economy, we must take steps to ensure timely and predictable outcomes for any new projects or regulations."