APCA Journal 1st Quarter 2026

PIPELINE CONTRACTORS JOURNAL | 1st Quarter 2026 23 Inside Washington Continued on page 24 Industry leaders braved the cold and ice to build relationships with policymakers and advocate for pipeline construction industry priorities at APCA’s 2026 Washington, D.C. Fly-In, February 4-6. The event kicked off with a welcome reception, dinner, and keynote remarks on the importance of Congress passing permitting modernization legislation by House Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.). Westerman spoke about APCA-supported permit reform legislation passed by the U.S. House in 2025 and currently awaiting Senate action, including a bipartisan bill drafted by Westerman called the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act (H.R. 4776), that proposes significant changes to the National Environmental Policy Act’s (NEPA) permitting procedures and related judicial review. Westerman reminded the audience that numerous APCA-supported NEPA and permit reform bills are stalled in the Senate primarily due to ongoing disputes between the Trump administration and Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.Mex.), respective ranking Democrats on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, over the Trump administration’s opposition to APCA Advocates for Federal Policy Priorities at D.C. Fly-In Jaime Steve Government Affairs Solutions jsteve@gasolutions.net (202) 841-5493 Ben Brubeck Government Affairs Solutions bbrubeck@gasolutions.net (703) 472-7850 In his welcome keynote speech at the fly-in, House Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) highlights his committee’s work on permit reform that culminated in the House passing the bipartisan Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act (H.R. 4776).

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