U.S. Chamber Key Vote Letter on H.R. 7023, the "Nationwide Permitting Improvement Act"

To Members of the U.S. House of Representatives:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce urges you to vote in favor of H.R. 7023, the "Nationwide Permitting Improvement Act," andwill consider including votes related to this legislation in our How They Voted congressional scorecard.

Nationwide permits clear out Clean Water Act Section 404 permitting bureaucracy by enabling project proponents to proceed with certain types of infrastructure projects without the need for individual approvals for each project that experts at the Army Corps of Engineers know from experience can be performed with minimal impact to aquatic resources.

H.R. 7023 recognizes that entire categories of projects – broadband, pipelines, transmission, and water infrastructure – with common characteristics that pose no- or low-impact on aquatic resources should be expedited. Modernizing nationwide permits would help improve the permitting process for applicants and the Corps by focusing on projects with more significant impact.  

Moreover, this legislation would help deliver on the Chamber’s "Permit America to Build" call to Congress to reduce permitting delays for projects across the country. 

We appreciate the leadership of Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC) for crafting this legislation, and we urge you to vote in favor of it.

Sincerely,

Tom Wickham
Senior Vice President
U.S. Chamber of Commerce