On September 6, 2018, Philip Howard testified before Congress on the need for infrastructure permitting reform. The hearing – titled “Permitting: Finding a Path Forward” – was held jointly by two subcommittees of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs and the Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy, and Environment.
In his testimony, Philip explained that environmental review and regulatory tradeoffs require giving officials authority to make the value judgments for sensible decisions. Without these judgments, the permitting process can take years, sometimes more than a decade.
The White House cannot solve the problem by executive orders alone. What’s needed is for Congress to pass legislation that clarifies lines of authority. Common Good has proposed three pages of legislation to accomplish that. You can watch his testimony here or read his written testimony here.