Javier Palomarez, USHBC President & CEO, Applauds House Passage of the SPEED Act
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, December 18, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The United States Hispanic Business Council (USHBC) proudly endorses the bipartisan Standard Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act (SPEED Act) to modernize the federal permitting process and restore clarity to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as a procedural review. By reducing uncertainty and reinforcing predictable timelines, the SPEED Act will help America build critical energy projects faster without compromising responsible environmental stewardship. The USHBC commends the House of Representatives for passing this bill and advancing long-overdue permitting reform.
Javier Palomarez, USHBC President and CEO, issued the following statement:
“Permitting delays aren’t an abstract Washington issue for Main Street businesses. They translate into higher costs, unreliable timelines, and fewer opportunities to invest, hire, and grow. When projects get trapped in years of uncertainty and litigation, communities pay the price through higher energy costs, weaker reliability, and slower economic development. The SPEED Act is a much-needed course correction that restores certainty, narrows the process to what is truly relevant, and helps America build energy infrastructure responsibly and efficiently. We can protect the environment and build the energy infrastructure our economy depends on, but not with a system that invites open-ended delay and chills investment. The SPEED Act restores a disciplined process that strengthens affordability, reliability, and American competitiveness.”
The SPEED Act focuses NEPA reviews on impacts directly tied to federal action, clarifies that federal funding alone does not automatically trigger a NEPA review, and sets a 150-day deadline for filing legal challenges. The USHBC commends the leadership of House Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Congressman Jared Golden (D-ME), as well as Congressmen Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Michael Baumgartner (R-WA), Gabe Evans (R-CO), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), Don Davis (D-NC), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Adam Gray (D-CA), Nick Begich (R-AK), Jim Costa (D-CA), and Jen Kiggans (R-VA). For Hispanic entrepreneurs and working families, who often feel affordability pressures first and hardest, energy costs are an invisible tax on transportation, production, and daily household necessities. Predictable permitting unlocks investment in reliable energy, modern grid infrastructure, and economic development in the communities where Hispanic businesses are growing fastest.
The USHBC urges the U.S. Senate to pass the SPEED Act and pursue additional durable permitting reforms that accelerate traditional energy, renewables, transmission, and other critical infrastructure. The USHBC will continue engaging Congress and the administration on a pro-growth, all-of-the-above strategic energy strategy that strengthens American energy dominance and delivers the timely approvals Main Street job creators need to compete and thrive.
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About the USHBC
Javier Palomarez is the President & CEO of the United States Hispanic Business Council (USHBC). The USHBC is a leading voice for the small business community. A 501(c)6 non-profit organization, the USHBC focuses on the success of American small businesses by ensuring they have a voice in the national dialogue. The USHBC is a nonpartisan organization.
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