Congressman Brett Guthrie and Congressman Morgan Griffith announced a hearing to discuss the impact of the Clean Air Act on infrastructure development and American innovation. The hearing, titled “Short-Circuiting Progress: How the Clean Air Act Impacts Building Necessary Infrastructure and Onshoring American Innovation,” will explore potential legislative solutions to make environmental statutes more workable.
“American innovation should not be stifled by unreasonable government red tape and regulatory overreach,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Griffith. They emphasized that regulations have extended beyond their original intent, affecting investments and pushing manufacturing overseas. The hearing aims to find ways Congress can support domestic manufacturing and American jobs.
The Subcommittee on Environment will hold the hearing on June 11, 2025, at 10:15 AM in the Rayburn House Office Building. It will be open to the public and press, with a livestream available at energycommerce.house.gov.
Chad S. Whiteman from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute testified before the subcommittee regarding concerns about recent Clean Air Act rules. He highlighted the economic burden imposed by these regulations, particularly noting an estimated $1.8 trillion in costs attributed mainly to EPA air rules.
Whiteman expressed concerns about the 2024 PM2.5 standards overreach, which lowered annual standards despite most emissions coming from uncontrollable sources like wildfires. He also pointed out permitting gridlock due to stricter standards affecting infrastructure and reshoring efforts.
Proposed solutions include supporting legislative reforms like the CLEAR Act to consider attainability and economic feasibility when setting standards, focusing regulatory efforts on non-industrial sources such as wildfires, and ensuring future rules account for compliance costs.
Whiteman concluded by emphasizing that while air quality has improved significantly since 1970, overly stringent standards could risk economic growth and competitiveness. He called for a balanced approach aligning environmental goals with practical implementation.
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