On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 213 to 184 to pass a bill that would speed up the process of getting federal permits for natural gas pipelines that cross state lines. The bill would make the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission the main agency in charge of reviewing pipeline permits.
Fox News said that the law would let FERC look at water quality assessments as part of its environmental review instead of waiting for states to get separate Clean Water Act certifications.
Supporters say that state-level certifications have often made it take years to get pipeline approvals. The name of the bill is the Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act.It is one of several things Congress is doing to speed up the process of getting federal permits.
The House also passed another bill with support from both parties. This one is called the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today Act.
As they try to build more energy infrastructure to meet rising electricity demand, lawmakers have made broad permitting reform a top priority.
Part of the reason for that demand is that data centers are growing quickly all over the country.
People who support the law also say that speeding up the permitting process could help lower energy costs for families.
There are usually five commissioners on FERC. The president picks them, and the Senate confirms them.
In the past few years, the agency has approved most of the proposals for natural gas pipelines that have come before it.
The Senate is working on its own plan to change how energy permits are issued, which would be more comprehensive than the House bills.
This happens just a few weeks before the government is set to shut down.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have put forward a new spending bill that would cost at least $174 billion. The House of Representatives could vote on it as soon as this week.
This is a big step forward in stopping another government shutdown by January 30, the deadline set by congressional leaders after the longest shutdown in U.S. history, which lasted 43 days in November.
The bill that was introduced on Monday includes three of the 12 annual appropriations bills that Congress must pass. These are: commerce, justice, science, and related agencies; energy and water development and related agencies; and interior, environment, and related agencies.
Senior Republicans and Democrats backed the bill, which was expected to be written through bipartisan talks between the Senate and House Appropriations Committees. “This bipartisan, bicameral package shows steady progress toward completing FY26 funding in a responsible way.” “House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., said in a statement that it invests in things that are important to the American people, like making our communities safer, supporting affordable and reliable energy, and responsibly managing important resources.” “It also funds important community projects all over the country, as well as investments in water infrastructure, ports, and flood control that keep businesses going and protect communities.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said that its release is a step toward avoiding a “bloated omnibus bill” and that it would “spend less than another continuing resolution.” This seems to be an attempt to calm the fears of conservative fiscal hawks.
Most of the money goes to the Commerce and Justice Departments and their related agencies.
It gives about $78 billion to NASA, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Prisons, and other areas.
The energy funding bill comes in second, giving the Department of Energy more than $58 billion. The bill gives a lot more money to nuclear defense and energy production. About $25 billion will go to the National Nuclear Security Administration.
A big part of that money will go toward nuclear weapons programs and building up the stockpile.
The interior funding bill, which is the last of the three, gives more than $38 billion to the Interior Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Forest Service, and other related agencies.
The package includes just over $3 billion in “Community Project Funding,” which is often called earmarks. Legislators ask for these funds for specific projects in their districts.
The last shutdown started in the Senate, but it looks like Senate Democrats are willing to work with Republicans before the deadline.
Before Congress went on vacation, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that the Democrats’ goal is to finish the remaining funding bills by the January 30 deadline. He stressed the need to “navigate through the process.”
Since the most recent package is a bipartisan, bicameral effort, Senate Democrats are likely to support it.
If both the House and Senate approve the bill, Congress will have made progress on six of its twelve spending bills. It is important to stress that a future shutdown would only affect the offices and agencies that were not funded at the time of the first shutdown.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
