The latest in a series of permitting proposals was led by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.).
Carper, in a written statement, described the proposal as a “discussion draft” and said he looks “forward to continuing the important work ahead so that we can pass bipartisan permitting reform legislation.”
It follows proposals from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who recently reintroduced his previous permitting package and from Senate Republicans.
No party is likely to get everything it wants as lawmakers look to hammer out a package that can bring in 60 votes in the Senate.
The new proposal from Democrats garnered some praise from both environmentalists and the business community on Thursday.
“This is the right approach,” Christy Goldfuss, chief policy impact officer for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a written statement. “It starts by deepening engagement with frontline communities, up front when it counts.”
Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President of Policy Marty Durbin, in a written statement, said that his organization also “commend[s] Chairman Carper for his commitment to fixing our outdated permitting laws and for keeping the issue at the forefront of Senate priorities.”
Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.
