To: Members of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
From: National Taxpayers Union
Date: July 29, 2026
Subject: NTU’s views on the July 29 Markup
I. Introduction
On behalf of National Taxpayers Union, the nation’s oldest taxpayer advocacy organization, we write to express our views on legislation slated for consideration before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on July 29, 2026. NTU applauds the Committee for your continued efforts to advance proposals that protect the reliability of our electric grid, promote American energy dominance, and reduce government burdens. As such, NTU strongly urges the Committee to support H.R. 7831, S. 5039, and H.R. 5631, and oppose S. 3738, S. 4041, and S. 3732.
II. Legislation NTU Supports
H.R. 7831/S. 5039, the License to Drill Act – Support. This legislation, authored by Chairman Lee (R-UT), would help address some of the bureaucratic delays that make it nearly impossible to build anything in a timely and cost effective manner. For infrastructure, housing, and critical energy projects, the government takes too long to review and approve applications before shovels can get in the ground. Investments that should take months to approve are too often stretched into years due to the sheer volume of red tape at both the federal and state levels. Nowhere is this challenge more acute than in the traditional energy sector, where demand for power is expected to far outpace our ability to supply it unless our permitting regime changes.
Thankfully, the License to Drill Act would help alleviate some of those permitting delays. Specifically, it reauthorizes the Application for Permit to Drill (APD) fee program through 2037—which supports faster clearing of drilling applications without additional taxpayer resources. Continuation of this program will bring greater certainty and accountability in the permitting process for businesses that want to extract oil and gas from federal lands. NTU Supports H.R. 7831 & S. 5039.
H.R. 5631, the Geothermal Energy Advancement Act – Support. This bipartisan legislation, authored by Reps. Hurd (R-CO) and Lee (D-NV) would help address some of the bureaucratic hurdles that exist for geothermal energy projects. Most importantly, it requires the Department of the Interior (DOI) to process all geothermal authorizations within 60 days of completing an environmental review.
It also accelerates National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews for qualifying projects, authorizes the recovery of reasonable permitting costs to improve agency efficiency, and directs the DOI to develop standardized guidelines for environmentally responsible geothermal development. In addition, the bill creates a geothermal ombudsman and an interagency permitting task force to help coordinate reviews, resolve bottlenecks, and ensure projects move through the approval process more efficiently. NTU Supports H.R. 5631
III. Legislation NTU Opposes
S. 3738, the MORE WATER Act – Oppose. This legislation, led by Sen. Padilla (D-CA), would extend Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) programs to help address growing water supply challenges in the Western United States. While NTU has no issues with the important goals of this legislation, it unfortunately authorizes over $1 billion in spending over the next five years. Further, this authorization is not offset with reductions elsewhere in the federal budget and would thereby save taxpayer dollars should this program expire. One of the biggest challenges facing this Congress is how to resolve our growing spending crisis. According to the Congressional Budget Office, our annual deficit is nearing $2 trillion, interest payments on our debt have become the fastest-growing part of the federal budget, and the national debt is approaching $40 trillion. For those reasons, it’s essential that funding—even “only” $1 billion—is offset with commensurate cuts or budgetary shifts elsewhere. NTU Opposes S. 3738.
S. 4041, Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act – Oppose. This bipartisan legislation, led by Sens. Daines (R-MT) and Hickenlooper (D-CO) would reauthorize the Cooperative Watershed Management Program for rural communities. While NTU has no issues with the important goals of this legislation, it unfortunately authorizes over $40 million in spending annually for the next four years, which is a higher level than this program’s previous authorization. Further, this higher authorization is not offset with reductions elsewhere in the federal budget. It’s essential that funding—even “only” $40 million —is offset with commensurate cuts or budgetary shifts elsewhere. NTU Opposes S. 4041.
S. 3732, Water Security and Drought Resilience Act – Oppose. This legislation, led by Sens. Gallego (D-AZ), Kelly (D-AZ), and Padilla (D-CA), would reauthorize an IIJA grant program and create a new program for water retention. While NTU has no issues with the important goals of this legislation, it unfortunately authorizes over $200 million in spending for the next several years, which is higher than small storage programs from previous authorizations due to the creation of a new grant program, which totals $75 million. Further, this higher authorization is not offset with reductions elsewhere in the federal budget. It’s essential that funding—even “only” a few extra million dollars—is offset with commensurate cuts or budgetary shifts elsewhere. NTU Opposes S. 3732.
IV. Conclusion
Should you have any questions about the recommendations in this memo, please do not hesitate to reach out to Thomas Aiello (taiello@ntu.org).