Republican Energy, Permitting Bills Pass House, Head to Senate

House Republicans expedited federal permitting for energy and infrastructure projects on Thursday after voting 221-205 to pass legislation easing requirements related to clean water.

The bill (H.R. 3898) modifies the Clean Water Act by streamlining the process for allowing certain discharges into waters and tweaking criteria related to clean water certifications. The measure also limits litigation timelines against projects based on the Clean Water Act. It’s one of the GOP’s signature permitting initiatives to address what many believe has become an overregulated and cumbersome process dictated by outdated laws.

The House adopted an amendment from Rep. Aaron Bean ...