Sen. Heinrich Takes Bipartisan Permitting Reform Push to Albuquerque Union Town Hall
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich met with building trades union members at the UA Local 412 hall in Albuquerque's International District on Monday (Oct. 12), pushing for passage of the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 before the new Congress convenes.
Heinrich introduced the bill last month with Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. It would set strict timelines for the lawsuits and objections that stall federal infrastructure and energy projects, and drop some reviews for upgrades to existing facilities. “The right to litigate still exists,” Heinrich explained at the town hall. “It just has a timeline.”
Heinrich said both parties agree the federal permitting process is broken, though agreement on the fix has been elusive. The bill has drawn a long list of endorsers, from conservative funders in the oil industry to clean energy and labor groups — which is why he brought the pitch to a union hall. Labor leaders at the meeting said slow permits leave projects unable to plan staffing, and estimated the reform could unlock up to 21,000 New Mexico jobs over the next decade.
Source: The Paper. (New Mexico Political Report)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 阿尔伯克基天际线，CC BY 4.0，作者 Quintin Soloviev（Wikimedia Commons）
