Senate clears 73-25 hurdle to fast-track US infrastructure permits

Senators voted 73-25 on Monday to advance the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, clearing the way for debate on a bill that would overhaul how Washington approves major infrastructure. The package now heads toward a final Senate vote, according to CNBC. It would then need to pass the House of Representatives.

The legislation rewrites pieces of the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act to shorten reviews that lawmakers say stall electricity generation. It also overhauls the approval path for transmission lines and requires hyperscalers to pay for both their own electricity load and the grid upgrades needed to serve them.

Republicans have argued for years that environmental rules block big builds like power plants and mines. Democrats want faster approvals for solar and wind so clean energy can scale and carbon emissions can fall. President Donald Trump, who typically opposes bipartisan bills, has endorsed this one.

Permitting reform has been circling Congress for years without a deal, but negotiators now think they can make BAAJA law before this Congress ends in January. They point to last week's elections, where Democrats swept Republicans and took majorities in both chambers, as extra tailwind.

Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., the top Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and its likely incoming chair, made the case at a Monday press conference. The bill would deliver on that message, he said, adding that it will focus Congress on making Americans' lives more affordable.

If the Senate passes the bill this week, the House still has to sign off. Trump's backing is expected to help it secure a vote there.