Thomas J. Madison Jr.: Congress must tackle infrastructure permitting reform | Columnists [Video]

THOMAS J. MADISON JR.

Inflation is wreaking havoc on America’s consumers, and the associated shortages and supply chain disruptions are driving prices ever-higher across the economy — especially in the energy sector. Among the most troubling roadblocks to alleviating this pain is America’s inability to efficiently permit new energy and infrastructure projects, including electricity transmission lines, pipelines, wind farms, and even the mines that are the leading edge of our industrial base.

Hope springs eternal, however. As part of a side agreement to the Inflation Reduction Act — the Democrats’ health care and climate bill — lawmakers will soon consider a proposal to address America’s longstanding infrastructure permitting and litigation delays. There are plenty of policies that elicit partisan rancor in Washington; this should not be one of them.

A growing plurality of Republicans and Democrats claim to support meaningful reform, even if their motives differ. Republicans have long championed permit streamlining, believing a more …