American Cement Association’s Statement Urging U.S. Senate to Pass Bipartisan Permitting Reform
Washington, D.C. (October 2, 2026) – American Cement Association President and CEO Diane Tomb issued the following statement on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (S. 5653), introduced by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.):
“Nothing gets built in America without cement, and too little gets built on time because the federal permitting system takes too long and invites endless litigation. The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act addresses both problems. It sets firm deadlines for environmental reviews, modernizes the National Environmental Policy Act and Clean Water Act permitting, places reasonable limits on legal challenges, and ensures that a permit, once issued, can be relied upon. That certainty is what cement manufacturers and the builders we supply need to invest, hire, and build.
“America’s cement manufacturers are ready to supply the roads, bridges, energy projects, and factories this country needs. Every month of delay raises the cost of those projects, and taxpayers and families pay for it. This bill shortens the path from plan to pour while keeping the environmental protections our communities expect.
“As this legislation moves forward, ACA hopes the final bill will also modernize the Clean Air Act’s New Source Review program. Today, New Source Review can discourage manufacturers from making the upgrades that improve a plant’s efficiency and lower its emissions, because routine improvements can trigger lengthy and uncertain permitting. Modernizing the program would give manufacturers investing in existing American plants the same certainty this bill provides to new projects.
“We thank Chairs Capito and Lee and Ranking Members Whitehouse and Heinrich for showing that permitting reform can be bipartisan. ACA urges the Senate to pass this bill without delay when it returns in November, and we look forward to working with both chambers to strengthen the bill and send permitting reform to the President’s desk this year.”
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About the American Cement Association
With a history dating to 1902, the American Cement Association is the premier policy, research, education, and market intelligence organization serving America’s cement manufacturers. ACA supports sustainability, innovation, and safety while fostering continuous improvement in cement manufacturing, distribution, infrastructure, and economic growth. For more information, visit www.cement.org.