ICYMI: Business Roundtable Smart Regulation Chair Urges Congress to Act on Permitting Reform at Senate EPW Hearing

Yesterday, Brendan Bechtel, Chairman and CEO of Bechtel and Chair of the Business Roundtable Smart Regulation Committee, testified before the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee on the urgent need to reform the federal permitting process for major infrastructure projects.

As Bechtel made clear, every permitting delay holds America back — stalling investment, slowing infrastructure projects and weakening U.S. competitiveness. Here’s what he said about the importance of passing bipartisan permitting reform that creates an efficient, predictable and durable process:

On why permitting reform is critical to U.S. competitiveness:

• “Permitting reform is about making America a destination for greater investment, keeping us competitive, strengthening manufacturing and other domestic industry, protecting the environment, and creating good jobs that support our communities. The key to achieving this is comprehensive, bipartisan permitting reform legislation.”
• “Our global competitors are advancing critical infrastructure projects faster. China is one of them. And other countries seeking long-term foreign infrastructure partners are taking notice. In strategic sectors like nuclear energy, semiconductor manufacturing and AI infrastructure, our [current] permitting process could not only jeopardize American economic leadership but undermine our hard-won global influence.”
• “The current system undermines our competitiveness abroad and at home … in the era of artificial intelligence and the national security implications of winning that race, we’re basically shooting ourselves in the foot if we can't build power fast enough.”

On the economic cost of continued project delays:

• “Uncertainty disrupts workforce planning, investment, communities and families … predictability matters for all of these constituents in the process. …In our case, for example, we’re typically making investments in training and hiring and partnering with vocational schools in the area, doing housing studies ahead of time to make sure we mitigate impacts on local housing for big projects — that all can happen 18 to 36 months before shovel ever goes in the ground.”

On recommendations to modernize the federal permitting system:

• “In September 2025, Business Roundtable released our report, ‘Building a Prosperous Future,’ with detailed recommendations for fixing this broken system. … These recommendations provide clarity and transparency. They remove unnecessary overlap and redundancy. They establish more predictable timelines. And they make clear that strong environmental protections and efficient permitting are not in conflict.”