Overview
- Republican leaders secured enough votes to adopt the rule for H.R. 4776 after flipping several holdouts, leaving only Reps. Chris Smith and Anna Paulina Luna opposed.
- A negotiated tweak will exempt agency decisions made since Jan. 20 until enactment from the bill’s permit‑certainty lock, allowing the administration to reopen certain offshore wind approvals.
- The SPEED Act, led by Reps. Bruce Westerman and Jared Golden, would narrow NEPA reviews, limit consideration of downstream or speculative effects, bar delays for pending new research, and shorten litigation timelines.
- The House will vote on amendments aimed at stripping the permit‑certainty language and carving out offshore wind, though backers expect those efforts to fall short.
- Business groups and senior administration officials argue faster permitting is needed for energy and data‑center buildouts, while environmental advocates and some Democrats warn of weakened oversight and signal the Senate will demand major changes.