WESTERMAN APPLAUDS EXECUTIVE ACTION FOR UPDATING PERMITTING TECHNOLOGY FOR THE 21st CENTURY

Yesterday, President Donald Trump released an executive action directing executive departments and agencies to make maximum use of technology in environmental review and permitting processes for infrastructure projects of all kinds. Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04) released the following statement in response:

"The current federal permitting process hamstrings every corner of American life. Everything from gravel road repairs to simple agricultural maintenance and large scale industrial projects are smothered under the weight of this cumbersome process. The needlessly complex and painstakingly bureaucratic process makes it more difficult for the United States to compete with our adversaries and produce innovative, modern resources to meet the growing demands of a 21st century society. As a longtime advocate and supporter of permitting reform, I applaud the Trump administration for their efforts to update permitting technology for the 21st Century – a step that will properly leverage technology to evaluate environmental permits which cause inordinate delays to delivering on important infrastructure projects. There is still a long road ahead, but yesterday's executive action is an excellent first step to use modern day technology and interagency communication to expedite a process that currently shackles our nation’s economic growth to antiquated and obsolete systems."

Read the Executive Action here.