The bipartisan bill proposes shorter approval timelines for clean-energy and fossil-fuel projects and other infrastructure, including data centers. The procedural vote opens Senate consideration; it does not pass the bill.
The US Senate voted 73–25 to formally take up a bill intended to shorten permitting reviews for energy and infrastructure projects. The vote advances consideration of the legislation, not its passage.
The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act covers clean-energy and fossil-fuel projects as well as infrastructure such as data centers. Supporters say large projects take too long to build; interstate transmission lines can take a decade, and energy projects also face delays connecting to the power grid, The Guardian says.
According to The Guardian, the bill would simplify federal rules for building interstate transmission lines and narrow the definition of a major federal action that triggers review under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Earthjustice, Sierra Club and the ACLU oppose the bill, saying it would weaken environmental laws. Indigenous groups have also opposed it over its effect on the federal government’s obligation to consult tribes about projects that affect them.
Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich, a sponsor of the bill, said last-minute changes ensured tribal consultation. He also argued that the legislation would favor renewable energy over fossil fuels.
The legislation still needs to pass the Senate and the House. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said it fell short on several issues, including tribal sovereignty, and that he would not rubber-stamp it without more involvement from his caucus.
The court stayed a judge’s injunction across the West Texas region, including Big Bend National Park, while the Trump administration seeks review of the case. The order is temporary, not a final ruling on the project’s legality.
3 min
Lawmakers voted 211–204 to send Republican Thomas Massie’s 8 articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the Judiciary Committee, averting a potential November 11 impeachment vote.
2 min
Apple has not confirmed whether iPad and Mac support will arrive in December 2026, when it plans an initial iPhone launch in China.
1 min
