April 14, 2026
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National Taxpayers Union urges all representatives to vote “YES” on H.R. 6398, the Reducing and Eliminating Duplicative Environmental Regulations (RED Tape) Act, authored by Rep. Joyce (R-PA). This legislation represents a commonsense step toward a smarter, more efficient regulatory framework—one that balances strong environmental protections with the practical demands of a modern economy.
Bureaucratic delays have become one of the most significant barriers to building housing, infrastructure, and critical energy projects. 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. This uncertainty discourages businesses from committing capital when project timelines and outcomes remain unpredictable, particularly in the traditional energy infrastructure sector, where permitting delays can be especially acute.
While much of the permitting reform debate centers on the National Environmental Policy Act, this legislation deals exclusively with the Clean Air Act. Currently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can conduct extensive secondary reviews and publicly comment on the environmental impacts of projects or regulations already subject to prior EPA involvement. This is a redundant process that adds time and expense while offering little additional benefit.
Too often, federal agencies fail to account for the cumulative and overlapping nature of regulatory requirements on workers, small businesses, and the broader economy. The RED Tape Act tackles this issue by reducing duplicative regulatory authority and promoting a more streamlined review process. In doing so, it provides businesses and project developers with greater certainty, helping critical infrastructure, energy, and manufacturing projects move forward more efficiently. Lower compliance burdens ultimately translate into lower costs for consumers and a stronger, more competitive U.S. economy.
This legislation is an important step toward modernizing the nation’s permitting system. Regulatory barriers are not merely a bureaucratic inconvenience, they function as a hidden tax on economic growth, investment, and energy security. Streamlining these processes, without compromising environmental safeguards, is essential to accelerating development, reducing costs, and ensuring abundant, reliable energy in the years ahead.
Roll call votes on this 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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