Rep. Mike Collins told Newsmax that he has a plan to allow the federal government to be "more efficient."
The Georgia Republican told Newsmax's "National Report" on Tuesday that he is proposing legislation to help eliminate damaging and wasteful red tape from interfering with important public works projects.
He said the Permit Act is "really simple," explaining that "we're not changing any of the water regulations, so we're not dirtying water, we're not doing anything with the regs."
He said the bill's purpose is "making the federal government more efficient, more productive, and issuing these permits faster and making things more affordable for the American people."
Collins said the delays touch every major part of daily life. "It's housing, it's energy, it's road construction, it's water treatment facilities. It's things that touch every American across this country," he said, adding that "now is the time that we look at all the permits, not just in transportation, but you're seeing across all of the federal agencies out there that we deal with."
He linked the bill to the broader push on affordability. "Yeah, sure it does," Collins said when asked whether the Permit Act fits into President Donald Trump's focus on lowering costs.
He said younger Americans "just don't have the opportunities that we've had" because "decades and decades of federal agencies ... overreaching, overburdensome regulations" have stalled projects and driven prices up.
He pointed to road construction as an example. "The average road construction out there, the bid is padded by around 30% because they know a 10-year project is going to be seven years of permits and fighting lawsuits and about 2 1/2 years of actual construction," Collins said. "That just doesn't make common sense or good business sense."
Collins said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Sam Graves is correct in noting that the Permit Act will cut red tape while protecting water quality.
Collins said the legislation "will actually help improve water quality because it's going to give everybody out there the opportunity to comply and to comply quicker."
He said extending compliance windows from five years to 10 years makes it easier for communities to meet standards.
Rural communities, Collins said, are among the most harmed by the current system. "Water treatment facilities out there across these rural communities across this country need to be able to increase their water treatment facilities to be able to participate in this economic boom that is about to happen," he said. "And when it takes you 10 to 12 years to get a permit, that doesn't make sense."
Collins said the bill is "a real simple bill" that will "speed up the federal government and get them in gear" so communities can grow when industry and housing come to them.
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Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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