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Nov. 20, 2025 – In response to today’s markup of the SPEED Act by Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), Climate Justice Alliance Executive Director KD Chavez issued the following statement:
“Despite a month-long recess in the House, the SPEED Act shows no meaningful improvements that address frontline communities’ concerns. Instead, it continues to empower corporations over people by weakening cumulative impacts analysis, diminishing our ability to hold polluters accountable in court, and limiting tribal sovereignty.
In fact, the SPEED Act has added a provision to assume “No Action” alternatives have negative impacts on tribes, regardless of the action or tribe’s own perspective. What this really means is that even when permits or agency actions require corrections or legal challenges, potentially harmful projects could continue moving forward. Tribal and Indigenous communities know all too well the harms caused by mining, oil, and gas operations— and how a “No Action” outcome can often be life saving.
Today’s markup of the SPEED Act represents yet another dirty permitting deal that sacrifices public health and treaty rights for AI infrastructure and fossil fuel expansion. We urgently need to address solutions for climate, housing, transportation, and energy infrastructure. Repealing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), or stripping communities of legal safeguards is not the answer.
Frontline communities know what works: stronger public engagement tools, robust investments in permitting staff, and protections for our public lands and sacred sites. It’s long overdue that our representatives get serious and bring community-backed solutions to the center of policymaking.”
