WASHINGTON, DC - This week Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06) and Congressman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-02), Co-Chairs of the House Climate Solutions Caucus, led a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies expressing interest in working with leadership to advance bipartisan climate policies during the 118th Congress, especially permitting reform to bolster domestic energy supply. 24 bipartisan Members of the Caucus joined the Climate Solutions Caucus Co-Chairs in signing the letter.

The Members wrote in part, "We write to express our interest in working with you to advance bipartisan climate policies during the 118th Congress. In April, we officially relaunched the House Climate Solutions Caucus – a group of 64 Republicans and Democrats dedicated to issues related to climate, energy, and the environment. We believe this Congress offers a key opportunity to find common ground and take new and bold action to accelerate progress toward innovative solutions to combat climate change, protect the economic prosperity of the United States, and meet our nation’s energy demands."

"...we believe that continued action on permitting reform, including addressing the constraints to expanding energy transmission, is necessary to support the United States’ energy needs, while also decreasing costs, reducing emissions, and protecting our environment for generations to come. Furthermore, by expediting domestic energy projects, our nation can more quickly reap the benefits of good paying jobs, cleaner air and water, and greater investment in state and local economies. In addition, necessary permitting reform measures will help to restore U.S. energy independence, which is a national security imperative," the Members continued.

In addition to Co-Chairs Houlahan and Garbarino, signers of the letter include Representatives Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH-02), Mike Lawler (R-NY-17), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20), Marc Molinaro (R-NY-19), Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), Nick LaLota (R-NY-01), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-21), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-08), Scott Peters (D-CA-50), Nancy Mace (R-SC-01), Mike Thompson (D-CA-04), Jack Bergman (R-MI-01), Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), Anthony D'Esposito (R-NY-04), Anna Eshoo (D-CA-18), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Don Bacon (R-NE-02), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), Young Kim (R-CA-40), Derek Kilmer (D-WA-06), David Joyce (R-OH-14), Seth Moulton (D-MA-06), and María Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27).

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Speaker Johnson and Minority Leader Jeffries:

We write to express our interest in working with you to advance bipartisan climate policies during the 118th Congress. In April, we officially relaunched the House Climate Solutions Caucus – a group of 64 Republicans and Democrats dedicated to issues related to climate, energy, and the environment. We believe this Congress offers a key opportunity to find common ground and take new and bold action to accelerate progress toward innovative solutions to combat climate change, protect the economic prosperity of the United States, and meet our nation’s energy demands.

We have no time to waste to further advance U.S. leadership in the energy and environmental sector. In its 2023 report, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that the world is likely to surpass the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial temperatures by the 2030s. As you know, Americans are already experiencing the many devastating impacts of rising global temperatures, which continues to impact communities at home and around the globe.

As Members of the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, we are eager to work with you on several key issues which can, and will, make a difference in advancing our nation’s climate and energy goals and commitments. Notably, we are encouraged at the prospect of advancing permitting reform to bolster our domestic energy supply – the need for which cannot be understated.

As you know, the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act included the first significant reforms to the federal permitting process in over 50 years, including various reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) agency review processes. We believe this represents a starting point for future permitting reform initiatives and that by furthering Congressional action, it is our hope that we can work to further reduce the uncertainty and risk associated with domestic energy projects, which can impede progress or prevent projects from being delivered. Such obstacles are detrimental to the American people, who would stand to benefit greatly from increased access to new, innovative, and low-carbon energy production.

With these challenges in mind, we believe that continued action on permitting reform, including addressing the constraints to expanding energy transmission, is necessary to support the United States’ energy needs, while also decreasing costs, reducing emissions, and protecting our environment for generations to come. Furthermore, by expediting domestic energy projects, our nation can more quickly reap the benefits of good paying jobs, cleaner air and water, and greater investment in state and local economies. In addition, necessary permitting reform measures will help to restore U.S. energy independence, which is a national security imperative.

Congress has long stated its intention to enact meaningful change within the permitting sector. It is our hope that the House, Senate, and Executive Branch can build upon the reforms included in the Fiscal Responsibility Act to craft a responsible, common-sense permitting strategy that meets the American people’s energy needs, protects our environment, and encourages innovation. As Members of the Climate Solutions Caucus, we stand ready to work with you on permitting reform and other issues to promote the long-term success, health, and safety of our nation and planet.

Sincerely,