The House Natural Resources Committee approved bipartisan legislation Thursday meant to accelerate federal approvals of infrastructure and energy projects, a reform that members of both parties say is necessary to prevent all kinds of projects from being tied up by bureaucracy.

Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) permitting reform bill, the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act, or SPEED, Act, advanced out of the committee Thursday afternoon after a more than five-hour hearing in a 25-18 vote.

Recommended Stories

Lawmakers give up on bipartisan permitting reform bill seen as critical for energy

Democrats’ fear of Trump clean energy crackdown holds up permitting reform talks

Senate has three months to pass permitting reform, GOP negotiator warns