{"id":2463168,"date":"2025-07-17T19:09:01","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T23:09:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sean-duffy-pushes-permitting-reform-to-clear-the-deck-of-red-tape-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-07-17T19:10:20","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T23:10:20","slug":"sean-duffy-pushes-permitting-reform-to-clear-the-deck-of-red-tape-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sean-duffy-pushes-permitting-reform-to-clear-the-deck-of-red-tape-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Sean Duffy pushes permitting reform to \u2018clear the deck\u2019 of red tape &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsean-duffy-pushes-permitting-reform-to-clear-the-deck-of-red-tape-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2463168&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Transportation Secretary sean Duffy has signed an agreement with the texas Department of Transportation that grants Texas greater authority to conduct its own environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This move aims to simplify and speed up the approval process for highway projects by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/november-to-remember-rhode-island-special-election-expected-to-help-house-democrats\/\" title=\"Rhode Island special election anticipated to boost ... Democrats in November.\">reducing bureaucratic red tape<\/a>. The agreement extends Texas&#8217;s control for ten years-double the previous term-and rolls back several Biden-era regulations,including eliminating some public notification and reporting requirements.<\/p>\n<p>Duffy encourages other states to pursue similar partnerships to help accelerate infrastructure progress. The signing was supported by Texas officials and Senator Ted Cruz, with Duffy describing the effort as the start of a &#8220;golden age of transportation.&#8221; The agreement reflects bipartisan recognition of the need to streamline environmental reviews and improve infrastructure funding and delivery.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, a new bipartisan group in the House, the Build America Caucus, is also pushing to reduce permitting delays for housing, infrastructure, and energy projects. Duffy is calling on states and stakeholders nationwide to provide input for the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill. This initiative comes at a time when key federal transportation agencies are facing critically important workforce reductions.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the Department of Transportation recently revoked $4 billion in funding from California&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pro-trump-religious-groups-begin-turning-up-heat-on-gop-to-take-action-on-marjorie-taylor-greene\/\" title=\"Pro-Trump, Religious Groups Begin Turning Up Heat On GOP To Take Action On Marjorie Taylor Greene\">high-speed rail project<\/a>, criticizing its inefficiency and high costs. Duffy highlighted the contrast with historic large infrastructure projects that were completed more rapidly and at lower costs, emphasizing the need for better and faster project delivery nationwide.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Sean Duffy pushes permitting reform to &lsquo;clear the deck&rsquo; of red tape<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2176272\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Transportation Secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3467525\/trump-appoints-transportation-secretary-sean-duffy-temporary-nasa-administrator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sean Duffy<\/a> took a victory lap on Thursday, signing an agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation to allow the state greater authority over its own environmental reviews.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We are trying to simplify and enhance our relationships with states so they can assume responsibility for environmental reviews under [the National Environmental Policy Act NEPA],&rdquo; Duffy said during an event at the agency&rsquo;s headquarters.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3474821\/nyc-mayor-race-sliwa-cuomo-slapping-fannies-killing-grannies\/\">NYC Republican mayoral candidate says Cuomo &#8216;slapping fannies and killing grannies&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3474953\/dan-sullivan-ad-alaska-senate-race-2026\/\">GOP makes foray into Alaska Senate race ahead of potential Democratic challenger<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/3474954\/northern-virginia-business-leaders-tariffs-doge-cuts\/\">Northern Virginia business leaders show confidence boost in face of tariffs and DOGE cuts<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Duffy added: &ldquo;If you look at what we&rsquo;re going to do with Texas, I would encourage every state to take a look at that and engage in those kinds of partnerships with us.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The agreement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/documents\/2025\/06\/20\/2025-11351\/renewal-package-from-the-state-of-texas-to-the-surface-transportation-project-delivery-program-and\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">extends<\/a> Texas&rsquo;s authority under the NEPA to conduct its own environmental reviews, a role the state has held since 2014. Under the revised agreement, Texas will renew its contract with the federal government every 10 years instead of every five. The agreement streamlines the environmental review process, reducing the time required to approve new highway projects.<\/p>\n<p>The new agreement rolls back several Biden-era safeguards, eliminating regulations from the Council on Environmental Quality and the requirement to notify the public of their right to sue TxDOT under Title VI. It also does away with the annual self-assessment and certain performance reporting obligations.<\/p>\n<p>While all states are eligible to participate in the NEPA program, Texas is one of only seven with an active agreement, according to the FHWA, with Nebraska currently in the process of enrolling.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The agreement was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.transportation.gov\/briefing-room\/us-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-announces-agreement-texas-help-state-build\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a> in late June, but Duffy formally signed it alongside members of the Texas DOT and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), announcing plans to &ldquo;usher in a golden age of transportation.&rdquo; Duffy said both Democrats and Republicans agree on the need for reform to speed up infrastructure projects, noting that lawmakers from both parties want more funding and faster approvals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Congress&rsquo;s push to reform environmental reviews for energy projects unraveled last December. More than six months later, lawmakers are<a href=\"https:\/\/buildamericacaucus-harder.house.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> reviving the effort<\/a> with a new bipartisan coalition. The newly launched Build America Caucus in the House aims to tackle permitting delays and cut red tape to speed up the construction of housing, infrastructure, and energy projects. While Congress works to gain momentum, Duffy urges states to collaborate directly with the Department of Transportation to keep projects moving.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They want more infrastructure, and they want their projects to move more quickly, and so we&rsquo;re going to need their partnership to clear the deck on some of these laborious&nbsp;rules that make things more challenging and more difficult for us,&rdquo; Duffy said.<\/p>\n<p>As Congress gears up to tackle the surface transportation reauthorization package, Duffy issued a nationwide call for ideas to help shape the next major infrastructure bill. A new request for public comment invites input from state officials, industry leaders, and trade groups, with a notice set to appear soon in the Federal Register outlining recommendations for what the package should include.<\/p>\n<p>The DOT&rsquo;s request for input on the surface transportation package comes as <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >key transportation agencies face steep workforce reductions<\/a>. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/world-at-work\/us-auto-safety-agency-shedding-more-than-25-employees-2025-07-17\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reporting by <em>Reuters<\/em><\/a>, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Highway Administration, and Federal Transit Administration are each expected to lose more than 25% of their staff.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/infrastructure\/3473948\/trump-cuts-funding-california-high-speed-rail-project\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>TRUMP SEVERS FUNDING FOR &lsquo;DISASTEROUSLY OVERPRICED&rsquo; CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The call for ideas also follows the department&rsquo;s decision just one day earlier to revoke $4 billion in funding from California&rsquo;s high-speed rail project.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It took 16 years and $15 billion in California high-speed rail to not lay one track,&rdquo; Duffy said Thursday. &ldquo;The Second Avenue project in New York will take four years and $4 billion to build a mile of subway. We have to do better, and we can do better.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It took five years to build the Hoover Dam. It took four years to build the Golden Gate Bridge,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2176272\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2176272\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sean Duffy advances permitting reform to reduce red tape<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":2463169,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Sean-Duffy-July-2025.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[59363,44456,39648,45268,32076],"class_list":["post-2463168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-permitting-reform","tag-policy-advocacy","tag-red-tape","tag-sean-duffy","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Sean-Duffy-July-2025.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2463168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2657"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2463168"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2463168\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2463172,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2463168\/revisions\/2463172"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2463169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2463168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2463168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2463168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}