{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.armstrong.senate.gov/senator-armstrong-praises-bipartisan-permitting-reform-package-advancing-key-reforms-to-get-america-building-again/", "Senator Armstrong Praises Bipartisan Permitting Reform Package Advancing Key Reforms to Get America Building Again", "2026-09-30", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "OK", "Alan Armstrong", "A000383", "www.armstrong.senate.gov", "armstrong", "https://www.armstrong.senate.gov/news/media-center/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nSeptember 30, 2026\n\nCONTACT:\n\nChrissy Harbin, Miranda Dabney\n\nSenator Armstrong Praises Bipartisan Permitting Reform Package Advancing Key Reforms to Get America Building Again\n\nPACKAGE REFLECTS KEY ARMSTRONG PRIORITIES AND MONTHS OF WORK TO BUILD CONSENSUS FOR COMPREHENSIVE PERMITTING REFORM\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Senator Alan Armstrong (R-OK) praised Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Chairman Mike Lee (R-UT), along with Ranking Members Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Martin Heinrich (R-NM), for reaching a historic, bipartisan deal on theBipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, saying the proposal incorporates key reforms he has championed to make the federal permitting process faster, more predictable, and more durable.\n\nSenator Armstrong released the following statement:\n\n\u201cI came to the Senate determined to help America build again, and I have been willing to work with anyone\u2014Republican or Democrat\u2014who is serious about fixing our broken permitting system. I applaud my colleagues in Congress on both sides of the aisle and the Trump administration for staying at the table and finding common ground. This agreement shows that comprehensive permitting reform is possible. Let\u2019s finish the job when we come back in November and get this package to the President\u2019s desk.\n\n\u201cThe reality is that meaningful, lasting reform doesn\u2019t happen when politicians retreat to their partisan corners or demand 100 percent of their wish list\u2014it happens when leaders are willing to do the difficult work of sitting at the table, and finding genuine common ground. On an issue as vital as energy and infrastructure, compromise isn\u2019t about surrendering our principles or lowering standards; it\u2019s about crafting an energy-neutral, practical framework that delivers real results for the American people, lowers utility bills, and strengthens our national security. If we want to solve generational challenges instead of just passing the buck down the road, we have to put country over party and do the tough, collaborative work required to get durable reform across the finish line.\n\n\u201cJust as important, this agreement reflects a massive, cross-sector coalition that has hit the exact same regulatory wall. From conventional energy and manufacturing to mining, electric transmission, transportation, and renewables, industries across our economy are pounding the table together because they recognize that if America is going to compete globally, we have to restore our ability to build.\u201d\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nArmstrong has made comprehensive permitting reform a central legislative priority since taking office in March 2026. He introduced S. 4944, the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure (AEMI) Act, to address the major federal barriers that delay energy, mining, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects, and was joined by 20 co-sponsors.\n\nThe Committee\u2019s package includes key pillars of that effort, including:\n\nReforms to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act to promote consistent, evidence-based environmental decision-making across infrastructure projects;\n\nGreater certainty for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) general and nationwide permits by eliminating duplicative review, extending permit terms, and incorporating judicial reforms to reduce baseless litigation;\n\nStatutory clarification to re-enable essential mining activities on federal lands; and\n\nTargeted National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reforms that clarify the scope of review, reaffirm NEPA\u2019s procedural nature, and establish judicial review standards designed to prevent the law from being used to indefinitely stall critical infrastructure projects.\n\nSince taking office, Armstrong has engaged in a sustained effort to build support across industries for comprehensive permitting reform. In June, he hosted Getting America Building Again: Permitting Reform and America\u2019s Competitive Future on Capitol Hill, convening more than 150 business leaders and policy experts around a shared blueprint for reform. He used his inaugural Senate floor speech to lay out the core elements of the AEMI Act and continued pressing the case at major energy and infrastructure forums throughout the summer.", 1, "2026-10-01T11:23:28Z", "2026-10-01T11:25:15Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.armstrong.senate.gov/senator-armstrong-praises-bipartisan-permitting-reform-package-advancing-key-reforms-to-get-america-building-again/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5093167312443256, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}