1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Today I take pen in hand to write and ask you to vote YES on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026. BAAJA is the most serious shot at fixing federal permitting in years, and it has bipartisan backing. The window to pass this is now — waiting for a "better deal" after the midterms is a gamble we can't afford with many energy sources slowed by a lack of transmission infrastructure. The current permitting system is broken. Federal reviews routinely stretch beyond two years, which is why we built only 900 miles of new transmission in 2024 when experts say we need 5,000 miles every year for the next decade. That gap is part of the reason why energy costs too much and the grid is too fragile. BAAJA fixes this by streamlining transmission approvals, requiring data centers to pay for the grid strain they cause, and shielding lawfully permitted energy projects from political interference — protections that span administrations and cover all technologies. No bill is perfect, and I understand some groups have reservations about environmental review, however every year of delay is another year of energy kept off the grid. Pass BAAJA please. Thank you.