©2026 League of Conservation Voters
Chair Bruce Westerman (R-AR) sponsored H.R. 4776, the so-called Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act, which would gut the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by stripping it of meaningful environmental and community impact analysis and reducing the review of major projects to a box-checking exercise. It would constrain federal agencies by limiting analysis to narrow, near-term impacts, prohibiting the use of new scientific information during reviews, and allowing project sponsors to deny agency requests for reasonable extensions to complete thorough environmental review. It would also undermine public accountability by restricting community input and legal recourse, cutting the statute of limitations from six years to 150 days and removing the court’s ability to challenge flawed agency environmental findings. Further favoring dirty energy, a last-minute amendment added to the bill would legitimize the Trump administration continuing to block offshore wind and other forms of clean energy while fossil fuel projects receive ‘white glove service’. On December 18, the House approved H.R. 4776 by a vote of 221-196 (House roll call vote 356). NO IS THE PRO-ENVIRONMENT VOTE. The Senate took no action on this legislation in 2025.
©2026 League of Conservation Voters