Democrats’ strong midterm election performance could complicate efforts to advance bipartisan permitting reform legislation during the lame-duck session. Environmental groups and other stakeholders may feel emboldened to push for changes to provisions involving judicial review, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act as lawmakers reassess the path forward.
“The Democrats’ performance was so overwhelming last night that the outside groups that talk to Democrats, the ENGOs, have to be emboldened,” Bracewell’s Joe Brazauskas told Heatmap.
“They have very strong views on the Clean Water Act provisions, the Endangered Species Act provisions, Judicial Review, and I really think that that will impact how that’s viewed by Democrats on the Hill.”