U.S. oil and gas producer groups are ramping up pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson to pass a major permitting reform bill, urging Congress to move quickly to approve the bill in a letter Wednesday. emphasizes that this is an urgent need. Attract new investment in domestic oil and gas projects, strengthen the nation's energy security, and breathe new life into other long-stalled energy infrastructure projects.
The letter, written by a coalition of U.S. oil and gas organizations that collectively account for 80% of the nation's fossil fuel production, states that House Republicans want to quickly and “immediately” implement the Energy Permit Reform Act of 2024, the U.S.-authored bill of 2024. He emphasized the need to pass the bill. Sen. Joe Manchin (R-Idaho, Va.) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). They said the law was essential to expediting producer action under the second Trump administration.
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A pump jack operates in front of a drilling rig in an oil field in Midland, Texas. (Reuters/Nick Oxford)
“While this bill is just the first step toward comprehensive permitting reform in this country, we passed this bill at the end of Section 118 and are committed to providing additional support, such as the one Chairman Westerman is drafting. “We believe that we will take serious steps to reform the National Environmental Policy Act and ensure that the Natural Resources Committee gets the United States back on track as soon as possible,” the letter said.
Pressure on Mr. Johnson and House Republicans has been mounting in recent days as lawmakers prepare for final touches before the end of the 118th Congress. Some have suggested that the bill's best chance of passing is in tandem with NEPA reform, which House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) may support. is a high-level commitment, which could further increase House Republican support for the reform authorization bill.
Its signatories include more than half a dozen major oil and gas industry associations, including the Gulf Energy Alliance, the American Oil and Gas Association, and the Independent Petroleum Association.
In the letter, the group said that in 2000, a new energy infrastructure project in the United States took an average of just two years to become fully operational from the issuance of the first permit, according to a Lawrence Berkeley National study. I pointed out the analysis of the place. They say that timeline is now extending to an average of more than five years for new projects.
“Such delays will hinder investment in these projects and threaten our nation's energy security,” they said. “Many projects end up being canceled because they take longer, funding is lost, or companies simply give up.”
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Former President Donald Trump addresses supporters at a campaign event at Saginaw Valley State University in October 2024. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“The Energy Permit Reform Act must be treated as an urgent priority,” Eric Milito, president of the National Marine Industries Association, told Fox News Digital in a statement. “As we approach the transition to a new Congress and administration, this bill is critical to establishing a strong national energy and authorizing a policy framework that will advance federal support for U.S. ocean energy into the future. ”
“By simplifying the permitting process, we can increase domestic energy production while maintaining environmental protection measures,” Milito said. It reaffirms America's commitment to leading the way.” President Trump has vowed to “liberate” and “destroy, destroy, destroy” U.S. energy production, including oil and gas production.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA, center), from left, Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN); Party leader Steve Scalise (R-Los Angeles) speaks with reporters. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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President-elect Donald Trump has used much of his campaign stump speech to criticize the Biden administration for what he sees as recent failures in U.S. oil and gas production, and to push back on electric vehicle manufacturing and production. He criticized the administration for focusing on the issue. Closure of aging power plants, Soaring energy priceswhich increased by up to 50% in the Keystone State.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Speaker Johnson's office for comment on the letter.
