A group of economic and national security officials across multiple presidential administrations are urging Congress to pass permitting reform legislation.
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), 19 officials from the Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama, first Trump and Biden administrations wrote that lawmakers have a “generational opportunity to strengthen” the country’s industrial capacity in the race against China.
“Critical industries across our economy — from semiconductors to critical minerals to artificial intelligence — are built in the physical world and powered by energy infrastructure that must be built as well,” the former government officials wrote. “Unfortunately, we are not building this infrastructure fast enough to remain globally competitive.”
Former Treasury secretaries Janet Yellen, Steven Mnuchin, Timothy Geithner, Henry Paulson Jr. and Robert Rubin, along with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, were among those who signed on to the letter. Seven former chairs of the Council of Economic Advisers also put their names down.
The officials lamented the time it takes to complete energy, industrial and infrastructure projects in the U.S., arguing the country is wasting its “advantages” in technology, capital markets, talent attraction, entrepreneurship and natural resources.
“Our inability to build threatens our national security and economic growth, and procedural barriers stymie efforts to correct course,” they wrote.
Two reasons why permitting delays “are especially concerning,” the officials argued, are the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and rising demand for data centers.
Hyperscalers in the U.S. “have turned to on-site power generation solutions” to avoid permitting delays, with this “behind the meter” strategy resulting in higher costs for companies and the American public, the officials added.
“With a more rational permitting process, hyperscalers would invest in new energy infrastructure that could connect speedily to the grid, which, together with sound regulatory policies, would increase electricity supply for all consumers and ultimately reduce residential bills,” they wrote.
Last month, Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) introduced legislation to reform the federal environmental review and permitting processes.
In their letter, the former government officials said the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act is the “most significant” permitting reform effort “in decades,” crediting the four senators for “taking bold action.”
They concluded, “If America can build at the speed our aspirations demand, it will be very hard for us to lose. If we cannot, it will be very hard for us to win.”
Welcome to The Hill’s Business & Economy newsletter, I’m Max Rego — covering the intersection of Wall Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.