Congressman Tom Kean Jr. Vows to Reform Federal Permitting Process in Bid to Accelerate Critical Infrastructure Projects
WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a press conference held on Capitol Hill at 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time today, Congressman Tom Kean Jr., representing New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, announced a comprehensive legislative proposal aimed at overhauling the federal permitting process. The announcement comes amid growing bipartisan frustration over multi-year delays in energy, transportation, and broadband projects. The congressman, citing a recent Government Accountability Office report, stated that average approval times for major infrastructure initiatives have exceeded five years. The proposed bill, titled the “Streamline American Infrastructure Act,” seeks to establish hard statutory deadlines for environmental reviews, consolidate duplicative agency reviews, and prioritize judicial challenges to prevent litigation from stalling construction. When questioned by reporters, Kean emphasized that the reforms were designed to protect environmental safeguards while eliminating bureaucratic inefficiency. The news follows a series of town hall meetings where constituents expressed concerns over stalled road repairs and energy grid upgrades. The bill is expected to be referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for markup next week.