Alan Armstrong
RIt shouldn't take decades to build critical infrastructure. The bipartisan permitting bill announced last week cuts red tape, grows our grid, maintains critical environmental protections, and - most importantly - helps America build again! https://t.co/wzU8wUCuEB
Comprehensive permitting reform is the key get America building again & lower prices for consumers. I enjoyed my conversation about this essential legislation on @NEWSMAX's Wake Up America this morning! 👇 https://t.co/TgF3JBh18a
Exactly! Permitting reform is good for America AND our allies.
I have always admired @GovStitt's leadership for our state, which is why I knew I had to say yes when he asked me to serve Oklahomans in the United States Senate with the singular mission to pass meaningful permitting reform. That mission is not over yet - but we took a tremendous step forward today. Let's get America building again!
@SenCapito Thank you for your leadership on this, Shelley!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 30, 2026 CONTACT: Chrissy Harbin, Miranda Dabney Senator Armstrong Praises Bipartisan Permitting Reform Package Advancing Key Reforms to Get America Building Again PACKAGE REFLECTS KEY ARMSTRONG PRIORITIES AND MONTHS OF WORK TO BUILD CONSENSUS FOR COMPREHENSIVE PERMITTING REFORM WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Alan Armstrong (R-OK) praised Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Chairman Mike Lee (R-UT), along with Ranking Members Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Martin Heinrich (R-NM), for reaching a historic, bipartisan deal on theBipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, saying the proposal incorporates key reforms he has championed to make the federal permitting process faster, more predictable, and more durable. Senator Armstrong released the following statement: “I came to the Senate determined to help America build again, and I have been willing to work with anyone—Republican or Democrat—who is serious about fixing our broken permitting system. I applaud my colleagues in Congress on both sides of the aisle and the Trump administration for staying at the table and finding common ground. This agreement shows that comprehensive permitting reform is possible. Let’s finish the job when we come back in November and get this package to the President’s desk. “The reality is that meaningful, lasting reform doesn’t happen when politicians retreat to their partisan corners or demand 100 percent of their wish list—it happens when leaders are willing to do the difficult work of sitting at the table, and finding genuine common ground. On an issue as vital as energy and infrastructure, compromise isn’t about surrendering our principles or lowering standards; it’s about crafting an energy-neutral, practical framework that delivers real results for the American people, lowers utility bills, and strengthens our national security. If we want to solve generational challenges instead of just passing the buck down the road, we have to put country over party and do the tough, collaborative work required to get durable reform across the finish line. “Just as important, this agreement reflects a massive, cross-sector coalition that has hit the exact same regulatory wall. From conventional energy and manufacturing to mining, electric transmission, transportation, and renewables, industries across our economy are pounding the table together because they recognize that if America is going to compete globally, we have to restore our ability to build.” BACKGROUND Armstrong has made comprehensive permitting reform a central legislative priority since taking office in March 2026. He introduced S. 4944, the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure (AEMI) Act, to address the major federal barriers that delay energy, mining, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects, and was joined by 20 co-sponsors. The Committee’s package includes key pillars of that effort, including: Reforms to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act to promote consistent, evidence-based environmental decision-making across infrastructure projects; Greater certainty for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) general and nationwide permits by eliminating duplicative review, extending permit terms, and incorporating judicial reforms to reduce baseless litigation; Statutory clarification to re-enable essential mining activities on federal lands; and Targeted National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reforms that clarify the scope of review, reaffirm NEPA’s procedural nature, and establish judicial review standards designed to prevent the law from being used to indefinitely stall critical infrastructure projects. Since taking office, Armstrong has engaged in a sustained effort to build support across industries for comprehensive permitting reform. In June, he hosted Getting America Building Again: Permitting Reform and America’s Competitive Future on Capitol Hill, convening more than 150 business leaders and policy experts around a shared blueprint for reform. He used his inaugural Senate floor speech to lay out the core elements of the AEMI Act and continued pressing the case at major energy and infrastructure forums throughout the summer.
Meaningful, lasting reform doesn't happen when politicians retreat to their partisan corners or demand 100% of their wish list - it happens when leaders are willing to do the difficult work of sitting at the table and finding genuine common ground. Thank you to @SenCapito @SenMikeLee @SenWhitehouse @SenatorHeinrich for doing the difficult work and producing a strong, bipartisan bill.
@RepScottPeters Scott, you've been a great ally in this effort. Onward to the finish line!
I came to the Senate to help America build again. This bipartisan deal is a huge step forward in that mission to strengthen American energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure! 🛠️ Read my full statement: https://t.co/SdUuk5TChZ
The ONLY way to lower fuel and utility prices in the long-term is for Congress to pass meaningful, durable permitting reform. Let's get it done!
Excellent piece from @MsLizBowman in @WashTimes. Bureaucratic delays and endless litigation stall critical energy projects and raise prices for American families. Congress must act swiftly to pass meaningful, durable permitting reform. https://t.co/7naDo4Flnn
Permitting reform isn’t a red or blue issue—my American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act is completely energy source neutral. Whether it’s electric transmission, solar, wind, mining, or pipelines, politics is blocking IT ALL. Putting party victory ahead of the country’s economic survival is unacceptable.
Our power grid is running out of capacity, and we're already seeing emergency load shedding and wild price spikes because we can't build linear infrastructure. Instead of fixing the rules, politicians play blame games while everyday families pay higher utility bills!
Data centers and high-tech manufacturing are being blamed for rising power bills. But technology growth isn’t the root of the problem—a broken permitting system is. We’re blocking new generation and grid connections, driving up costs, and pushing critical investment out of America because Washington can’t get out of its own way.
It’s a shame that the men and women elected to serve their constituents in the United States Senate allow petty partisanship and political games get in the way of what’s best for our country. Call me naïve, but I’d hoped to see more courage from my colleagues.
We are in a fierce global race for AI dominance and industrial power, yet we struggle to build the basic infrastructure to power it. ⚡ Our foreign adversaries are moving ahead while Senate leadership lets petty midterm politics stall permitting reform. We risk ceding our global leadership because we tie our own hands.
There is no reason to delay until November. In fact, there is EVERY reason to stay in town and get this done as quickly as possible. Committee leaders have been working towards this deal for nearly two years. Nothing in this deal is new – these are commonsense reforms that stakeholders across the industry are asking for. Democrats continue to move the goalposts rather than do what’s right for our country.
Democratic leadership is blocking permitting reform simply to prevent Republicans from getting a win before the midterms. We have cooperated with everything Democrats asked for, yet they walked away & put short-term political efforts ahead of what is best for the country. The American people cannot afford more partisan stalling while energy costs skyrocket.
Who in the world actually opposes permitting reform besides the cottage industry of litigants who make money off "sue and settle" lawsuits? It isn’t the family paying the utility bill, the worker waiting for a job, or the company ready to invest here. Democrats need to stop catering to trial lawyers and help us get America building again. 🇺🇸
I spent 40 years as a field engineer building infrastructure. I can tell you firsthand: America is slowly strangling itself with regulatory red tape. Everyone in Washington knows permitting is broken, but politicians keep pushing it down the road for short-term political games.
While China builds nuclear plants, solar farms, and power grids at light speed, America spends four years stuck in administrative Environmental Impact Statement loops just to get sued by trial lawyers. Foreign competitors have to be loving our self-inflicted paralysis. The Senate needs to stop stalling and pass permitting reform!
The House has done fantastic work on permitting reform. It's time for the Senate to do the same.
Permitting reform isn’t just an energy issue - it’s an economic and national security imperative. The consensus is clear across the industry: Congress needs to fix the review process and restore regulatory certainty now. ⚡️ https://t.co/XfcmstPUOU
Read more about the AEMI Act here: https://t.co/2RMBFEppov
Thank you @SenThomTillis, @SenatorHagerty, and @SenAshleyMoody for joining my American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act—bringing us to 20 cosponsors. A growing group of Senators are focused on the long term: cutting red tape, modernizing outdated laws, lowering energy costs, and making it easier to build in America. That’s what S. 4944 is about.