June 2, 2026
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National Taxpayers Union urges all representatives to vote “YES” on two permitting bills slated for consideration: H.R. 7831, the License to Drill Act authored by Rep. Kennedy (R-UT), and H.R. 1687, the CLEAN Act sponsored by Rep. Fulcher (R-ID). These pieces of legislation will help reduce government barriers to unlock a smart “all-of-the-above” energy strategy that leads to more American energy production.
Bureaucratic delays are the single most significant barrier to building in the United States. From infrastructure and housing to 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. Faster permitting does not eliminate environmental protections; it simply ensures that agencies make timely decisions.
Similarly, the CLEAN Act is a commonsense reform that would help unlock America’s geothermal energy potential in the western United States. Because most viable geothermal resources are located on federally managed lands, timely and predictable lease sales are essential for attracting private investment. Recognizing this, the CLEAN Act requires annual geothermal lease sales and ensures missed sales are promptly rescheduled, providing greater certainty for energy developers. From a taxpayer perspective, lease sales also generate revenue for the federal government which can help balance our budgets.
Reliable access to domestic energy resources is essential to economic growth, affordability, and meeting rapidly increasing power demand across the country. To meet the moment, federal leasing programs need more certainty, and these bills will address activities on federally managed lands and mandate timely permitting decisions for both traditional energy drilling as well as geothermal projects.
Roll call votes on these two pieces of legislation will be included in NTU’s annual rating of Congress and “YES” votes will be considered the pro-taxpayer position.
If you have any questions, please contact NTU’s Vice President for Federal Affairs Thomas Aiello at Taiello@ntu.org
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