Scalise Bill to Boost American Manufacturing Passes House Energy and Commerce Committee

Washington, D.C. – Legislation introduced by Congressman Steve Scalise to revitalize the American manufacturing industry today was passed with bipartisan support by the Energy and Commerce Committee with a vote of 30-19. The Promoting New Manufacturing Act, H.R. 4795, will increase investment in American manufacturing and create new jobs by reducing costly permitting delays.

“By increasing transparency and holding the EPA accountable, we can jump start a broken permitting process that is holding back our economy, which is good news for hard-working taxpayers,” said Congressman Steve Scalise, Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and Power. “The men and women who have to live with these radical EPA regulations have been asking for guidance to show them how to come into compliance. If these rules and standards are as good as the EPA says they are, why won’t the agency be transparent and prove how they can be implemented? Instead of arbitrary regulations that will force jobs and higher emissions to countries like China, this bill holds the EPA accountable and provides industry a roadmap as to how to achieve the highest standards through the use of the best commercially available science and technology. This bill takes critical steps towards cutting red tape, reviving our country’s manufacturing base, and creating tens of thousands of high-paying jobs for hard-working Americans. I applaud Chairman Upton for bringing this critical bill before the committee.”

The Promoting New Manufacturing Act:

• Reduces costly construction permitting delays that impede the construction of new facilities by requiring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide guidance on how to comply with new or revised air quality standards.
• Increases transparency by making public the number of Clean Air Act New Source Review (NSR) preconstruction permits issued annually and the timelines for the full permitting process.
• Promotes the efficient processing of permits by requiring the EPA to provide Congress with an annual report on the actions being taken by the agency to expedite the permitting process.

All across the United States there are hundreds of proposed manufacturing facilities not being constructed because they are held up in burdensome permitting processes and bureaucratic red tape. According to the American Chemistry Council (ACC), there are currently 180 announced manufacturing projects that will contribute an estimated $115 billion to the U.S. economy. By 2023, the ACC estimates, these new investments could generate tens of billions in chemical industry exports and hundreds of thousands of permanent jobs. In Louisiana alone, there are 39 proposed projects worth $28.6 billion, that will create 46,000 new jobs and support an additional 22,000 jobs.