Natural Resources sets NEPA overhaul markup

Chair Bruce Westerman has been trying to secure more Democratic support for his "SPEED Act."

November 18, 2025

The House Natural Resources Committee plans to vote later this week on legislation to revamp the National Environmental Policy Act.

A markup of several bills will feature H.R. 4776, the "Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act," which would narrow the scope of environmental scrutiny of projects and limit litigation.

Westerman said Monday evening that the committee was working on updated text that may encourage more Democrats to support the legislation. Many were skeptical during a hearing in September.

“We’re still working through some issues. We’ll probably have a manager’s amendment if we can get agreement on those issues,” Westerman said. “We’re working with the administration. I think we’ve got the bill text in really good shape."

Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden introduced the bill with Westerman in July. Since then, other moderate Democrats like Henry Cuellar of Texas have signed on.

Other potential Democratic supporters sent over proposed changes, according to the committee’s ranking member Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.).

Huffman said Democrats want language that would force the Trump administration to reverse its attacks on clean energy projects before any kind of deal can be reached.

“That’s a threshold matter,” said Huffman. “You don’t get to talk about all the other details in the bill if you’re going to continue to allow Donald Trump to continue killing off the clean energy sector.”

He added: “It’s got to be specific; it’s got to be impactful."

Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) is making similar demands in talks with Republicans in his chamber on a broad permitting and grid package.

Huffman, a progressive, has been one of the most vocal defenders of NEPA and other core environmental laws. His predecessor as top Natural Resources Democrat, the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva, helped lead the opposition to other permitting proposals. But Huffman said he's open to a deal.

"The bottom line here is that there’s lots of Democrats that would be interested in supporting a broadly reasonable streamlining bill. I am one of them," Huffman said.

"But that conversation has to begin with addressing this completely unprecedented war on all parts of clean energy and the jobs that are being lost and impacts to the grid and the electricity prices. This is a train wreck that is unfolding, and you can’t pretend it’s not happening. You have to do something about it.”


By:  Kelsey Brugger, Garrett Downs
Source: E&E Daily