Oppose the SPEED Act and Protect Environmental Review

I am writing to urge you to vote NO on the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act (H.R. 4776), commonly known as the SPEED Act. This legislation represents the most sweeping rollbacks to the National Environmental Policy Act since NEPA was enacted in 1970, and it threatens the environmental protections that communities across the country depend on. The SPEED Act undermines informed decision-making by reducing opportunities for public input in environmental decisions, weakening the requirement that best available science inform government choices, and severely limiting oversight from the courts. These changes would make it easier to clearcut national forests, expand uranium mines, overgraze public lands, and construct pipelines with little to no review. This approach prioritizes short-term profits for project sponsors over the long-term health of our communities and environment. As Ronni Flannery, senior staff attorney at The Wilderness Society, stated, this legislation shows little regard for community voices and places burdens on future generations. NEPA exists to support informed decision-making that improves environmental outcomes. The SPEED Act undermines this essential purpose by allowing the government to sell off public lands and resources behind closed doors while stripping away the accountability tools that communities rely on. Future generations should not inherit more pollution and environmental damage while having fewer opportunities to shape decisions affecting their communities. Environmental review processes exist because they work. They ensure that projects move forward with proper consideration of impacts and alternatives, not because they block development entirely. I urge you to oppose H.R. 4776 and protect the environmental review processes that have served this country well for over 50 years. Our communities deserve a voice in decisions that affect their health, environment, and future.