Senate advances bipartisan permitting reform bill in return from midterms recess

The Republican-led Senate voted Monday to advance a bipartisan permitting reform bill as the chamber returns from its month-long recess for the November midterm elections.

The legislation, which passed in a bipartisan 73-25 split, aims to speed up the construction of energy and other infrastructure projects. It also makes it harder for opponents to sue to block projects on environmental grounds and hampers the ability of states and the Environmental Protection Agency to preemptively block them, according to The Hill. 

Democrats have voted in favor of the legislation, dubbed the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, because they argued that it will be good for the climate and for consumers’ wallets. 

Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said the legislation will save Americans approximately $60 to $80 each month.

“This is a climate and clean energy bill," Whitehouse said. "Once this bill is law, it will have a more powerful climate effect in the power sector than the [Inflation Reduction Act] will have — largely because of the destruction wrought by Republicans on the IRA — this becomes our biggest implemented climate bill."

Whitehouse also said the bill will prevent between 1.5 and 1.8 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions and increase the nation’s wind capacity by 25 percent, solar capacity by 28 percent and battery storage capacity by 70 percent.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.