There is a grim resignation that America no longer builds, that our permitting system for energy projects is irreparably bloated and unnavigable. The nation that once constructed the Empire State Building in a year now leaves permit applications to languish for decades.

The window of opportunity for this Congress to fix this universally recognized challenge is shrinking, just as it did in 2024. Senators spent this past week oscillating between approaching an agreement and lamenting the deal’s death. In a surprising moment of consensus, senators announced last evening that they’ve landed on bill text.

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