Permit America to Build

Bolstering America’s strength and competitiveness by modernizing the permitting process necessary to build critical infrastructure.

Today, the single biggest obstacle to building the infrastructure of the future is a broken permitting system. That is why we are calling on Congress to Permit America to Build by enacting meaningful, durable legislation to modernize our nation’s permitting processes.

From broadband access and transmission lines to pipelines, roads, and bridges, the process to get these projects underway is outdated and insufficient to meet the needs of our modern society. There is bipartisan agreement that we need to modernize our permitting process—now we need bipartisan action.

Permit America to Build Toolkit

Industry Voices on Permitting Reform

From the experts

As part of our initiative, we have brought together diverse voices across our economy all expressing their support for reforming our broken permitting process. Watch now:

Government leaders observe the hurdles caused by the slow permitting system in place in the U.S. and discuss permitting reform solutions.

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Lawmakers on the importance of permitting reform

To illustrate the complexity of the American permitting process, the U.S. Chamber constructed a maze—complete with numerous roadblocks, setbacks and delays that have become the unfortunate reality of this system.

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Permitting principles

Congress has made unprecedented investments to incentivize new resilient American infrastructure, with billions now available and the government creating new opportunities for grants and loans. Investments in renewable energy and lower emissions technologies, critical mineral mining and forestry, to transportation projects are taking four to ten years to complete permitting. These delays serve only to impede critical improvements now and in the future.

While there are differing perspectives on how Congress should address the permitting challenge, there is consensus that a modernized permitting process requires:

Predictability: Project developers and financers must have an appropriate level of certainty regarding the scope and timeline for project reviews, including any related judicial review.
Efficiency: Interagency coordination must be improved to optimize public and private resources while driving better environmental and community outcomes.
Transparency: Project sponsors and the public must have visibility into the project permitting milestones and schedule through an easily accessible public means.
Stakeholder Input: All relevant stakeholders must be adequately informed and have the opportunity to provide input within a reasonable and consistent timeframe.

Become a member

U.S. Chamber members range from the small businesses and local chambers of commerce that line the Main Streets of America to leading industry associations and large corporations.

Learn more about how your business can become a member.

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Understanding the permitting process

Feature story

The permitting process takes too long in America. Here's a look at how different sectors are impacted by the outdated permitting system.

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Feature story

As the business community continues to innovate and connect people across the country, broadband access, adoption, and affordability must remain key priorities for Congress.