The PA Chamber joined business leaders from across the country in Washington, D.C. last week to press Congress for action on permitting reform, building on bipartisan progress already underway in Pennsylvania.

PA Chamber Director of Government Affairs Amy Brinton participated in a Day of Action on Capitol Hill on Jan. 7, which was organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as lawmakers returned for their first full day of the new session. The effort brought together employer advocates, trade associations, and members of Congress to highlight the economic costs of the nation’s outdated permitting system and the need for timely, bipartisan reform.

Brinton met with the offices of House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), Sen. Angus King (I-ME), and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to discuss how permitting delays affect infrastructure, energy, and development projects, and limit the ability of businesses to plan, invest, and hire.

The Day of Action was part of the U.S. Chamber’s Permit America to Build initiative, which focuses on how lengthy reviews, interagency delays, and legal uncertainty continue to stall projects and drive-up costs. Lawmakers from both parties pointed to the impact on taxpayers and communities when projects take longer to permit than to construct, particularly for roads, bridges, and other core infrastructure.

Momentum for reform has increased following the House’s passage of several permitting-related bills in December, including the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act, the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today (PERMIT) Act, and other bills aimed at streamlining the permitting process. Attention now shifts to the Senate to advance a comprehensive, bipartisan proposal that streamlines reviews and provides greater certainty for project approvals.

For the PA Chamber, advocacy in Washington reflects priorities already advanced at the state level. Pennsylvania has enacted bipartisan, pro-growth permitting reforms in each of the last two budget cycles, including the creation of the SPEED program and measures to improve communication between agencies and applicants.

Those reforms established clearer timelines, increased transparency through a public permit-tracking system and annual performance reporting, allowed for third-party reviews, and codified firm decision deadlines — steps designed to keep projects moving and give employers greater confidence to invest and grow in the Commonwealth.

To learn more about the event, please click here.