WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, released a statement today following President Trump’s executive order on streamlining the infrastructure permitting process:

“The President’s executive order today shows his commitment to improving America’s infrastructure by taking clear steps to shorten the obscure and exhaustive permitting requirements for infrastructure projects,” Inhofe said.

“This executive order clearly implements many of the project delivery reforms I successfully fought to include in the FAST Act, including streamlining project permitting processes and forcing concurrent environmental reviews, so job-creating projects can get started sooner. These reforms are designed to ensure that even the largest and most complicated infrastructure projects can be fully permitted within two years. No more black boxes; no more guessing—now, we will get projects done.

“These reforms will also increase transparency and accountability by identifying one lead agency to drive the progress forward on large-scale projects.

“I appreciate that this executive order builds on the prior administrative agenda and look forward to continuing to work with the president to remove barriers to improving our nation’s infrastructure.”

Background:

• On July 19, President Trump signed an executive order establishing a Presidential Advisory Council on Infrastructure to develop project delivery priorities and private partnership opportunities for all modes of transportation.
• On June 8, Senator Inhofe introduced the FLIGHT Act, which included provisions to extend the same expedited environmental review processes to general aviation airports that large commercial airports receive.
• On January 24, Trump signed an executive order to expedite environmental reviews for high priority infrastructure projects.
• When serving as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Senator Inhofe successfully added many key streamlining provisions to the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, or FAST Act. Today’s executive order builds on those provisions.
• Senator Inhofe championed streamlining provisions in other key pieces of legislation, including the Water Infrastructure for Improvements to the Nation Act of 2016, Water Resources Development Act in 2014 and the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century Act.