Senators: “We request that legislation with such broad implications, impacting every state, go through the regular committee process in both chambers, where constituents and stakeholders may weigh in on the pros and cons, and where the legislation is subject to robust floor debate.” 

Washington (December 6, 2022) - Senator Edward J. Markey joined Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), along with Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (Calif.-12) to urge them to not include fossil fuel permitting reform as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, an omnibus appropriations bill, or any broader year-end legislative package, noting the importance of a full and transparent legislative review process for such consequential legislation.

“Our nation’s continued failure to take the input of the most directly impacted communities seriously has led to the very real costs of our energy infrastructure being disproportionately borne by communities of color, low-income communities, and others who have traditionally been marginalized,” wrote the Senators. “Lack of early community involvement has also slowed the implementation of energy projects that wind up mired in litigation.”  

The Senators recognize the important goals of both accelerating the rapid deployment of clean energy, and of advancing climate justice by remedying past damage done to frontline and low-income communities. The Senators urge Congress to build on the investments of the Inflation Reduction Act to implement clean energy technology and ensure it is not done at the expense of already overburdened communities.   

“We ask you to allow all members to participate in this important endeavor by only moving permitting reform on the floor as standalone legislation subject to robust and open debate,” the Senators concluded. 

Full text of the letter can be found here and follows below: 

Dear Leader Schumer and Speaker Pelosi:

We write today to express our opposition to including the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022 as part of the National DefenseAuthorization Act, an omnibus appropriations bill, or any broader year-end legislative package. We request that legislation with such broad implications, impacting every state, go through the regular committee process in both chambers, where constituents and stakeholders may weigh in on the pros and cons, and where the legislation is subject to robust floor debate. This regular order ensures that the policies we enact are thoroughly vetted and considered and provides all members the ability to participate in the process.

Our nation’s continued failure to take the input of the most directly impacted communities seriously has led to the very real costs of our energy infrastructure being disproportionately borne by communities of color, low-income communities, and others who have traditionally been marginalized. Lack of early community involvement has also slowed the implementation of energy projects that wind up mired in litigation.

Our conference broadly shares the goals both of accelerating the rapid deployment of clean energy, and of advancing climate justice by remedying past damage done to frontline and low- income communities while making sure we don’t inflict such harm in the future. Congress needs to ensure that we build on the investments of the Inflation Reduction Act to rapidly and equitably deploy clean energy technology and ensure that it is not done at the expense of already overburdened communities.

We ask you to allow all members to participate in this important endeavor by only moving permitting reform on the floor as standalone legislation subject to robust and open debate. 

Sincerely, 

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