PCCA Journal|1st Quarter 2026 7 If there was one theme that carried through PCCA’s 2026 Washington, D.C. Fly-In, February 4-6, it was this: the obstacles slowing our industry’s infrastructure deployment are no mystery, and the solutions are bipartisan and achievable. The three-day 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 PCCA-supported permit reform legislation passed by the U.S. House in 2025 and currently awaiting Senate action, including a bill drafted by Westerman called the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act (H.R. 4776). Westerman reminded the audience that permit reform legislation has been 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 wind and renewable energy projects important to their caucus and constituents. Key U.S. Senate committees like the EPW committee held hearings last month on permit reform legislation aimed at building goodwill and ending the impasse, and they appear poised to take additional action in 2026. However, the midterm elections will significantly constrain the congressional legislative agenda by the summer, and the chances of the House changing party control remain very possible. In short, Congress needs to pass permit reform legislation by May, and the time for the Senate to act was yesterday. Westerman urged the audience to tell the Senate to put aside partisan differences and pass permitting reform legislation immediately for the greater good of all Americans. PCCA Members Meet with Congress On February 5, PCCA members attended a policy briefing breakfast organized by the PCCA government affairs team and then met with dozens of U.S. Senate and House offices from both parties to deliver PCCA’s message directly to the lawmakers and staff shaping permit modernization legislation and other PCCA policy priorities like broadband infrastructure funding, safety, workforce development, and labor and employment reform. Organized into regional delegations, PCCA members from across the country sat down with Senate and House offices Continued on page 8 Inside Washington Jaime Steve Government Affairs Solutions jsteve@gasolutions.net (202) 841-5493 PCCA Promotes 2026 Federal Policy Priorities at D.C. Fly-In Ben Brubeck Government Affairs Solutions bbrubeck@gasolutions.net (703) 472-7850
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