House conservatives threatened to block a key infrastructure bill on Tuesday, but the hardliners ended their saber-rattling after securing concessions that would protect Trump-era renewable approvals.
House Conservatives Shift to Support SPEED Act
The Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act was at the center of a tense debate. Hardline Republicans initially warned that they would block the bill if it did not address their concerns about wind energy and other renewable projects. On Tuesday, the group announced that they had reached a deal that would safeguard revocations already made by the Trump administration.
The SPEED Act and Its Purpose
The SPEED Act seeks to streamline approval for energy and other infrastructure projects. It does so by curtailing environmental scrutiny and limiting the factors that federal agencies can consider during a review. The bill also creates new exclusions for projects that would otherwise trigger environmental assessments.
Hardliners Secure Concessions
Six Republicans had initially voted against the rule that would set the stage for votes on the SPEED Act and related measures. Rule votes are typically party-line affairs and serve as a test of loyalty, regardless of how lawmakers intend to vote on the underlying legislation. The hardliners raised concerns about a provision that would make it harder for the Trump administration to revoke prior approvals of renewable projects.
Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) said: “We got an agreement to amend the bill. They’ll protect all the remands that have been in place before the date of enactment.” Harris was one of the holdouts who flipped his vote after the concession was reached.
Legislative Dynamics and Party Lines
Republican Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) and Chris Smith (R-N.J.) were the only Republicans to vote with Democrats against the rule. The SPEED Act has long been part of a broader permitting-reform effort that Democrats and Republicans have negotiated over the years. To attract more Democrats, language was inserted to prevent federal agencies from rescinding energy approvals except in limited situations.
Democrats have expressed concerns over the Trump administration’s efforts to axe already-approved renewable energy projects. The legislation is still primarily GOP-backed, but a handful of Democrats were expected to support it ahead of Tuesday’s vote.
Potential Senate Hurdle
Even if the bill passes in the House, it is unclear whether it would have a path through the Senate. Seven Democratic senators would need to join Republicans in supporting reforms that have largely been pushed by the GOP. The latest round of Republican opposition highlights the difficulty of drafting legislation that satisfies enough Senate Democrats and House Freedom Caucus members.
The House Rules Committee advanced the bill on Monday, but it did not strike the provision limiting the Trump administration’s authority to go after already-approved projects. This decision was a point of contention for Harris and other offshore wind opponents, according to Politico.
Key Takeaways
- Hardline House conservatives backed the SPEED Act after securing concessions to protect Trump-era renewable approvals.
- The bill aims to cut environmental reviews for infrastructure projects, creating new exclusions and limiting review factors.
- Even if the House passes the measure, the Senate remains an uncertain hurdle, requiring bipartisan support.
The episode illustrates the complex interplay between party loyalty, environmental policy, and infrastructure reform. While the SPEED Act moves forward in the House, its future depends on negotiations that span both chambers of Congress. The hardliners’ concession may signal a willingness to compromise, but the broader legislative path remains fraught with challenges.
