Senate passes permitting overhaul in rare bipartisan vote

The Senate on Tuesday passed a sweeping overhaul of federal permitting rules by a 68–29 margin, a rare bipartisan result on an issue that has stalled for most of the decade.

The bill sets binding two-year timelines for environmental reviews of transmission lines, interstate pipelines and large housing developments, consolidates agency reviews under a single lead office, and narrows the window for legal challenges from six years to 150 days.

Supporters from both parties described the deal as a trade: faster clean-energy build-out in exchange for predictability that developers of all kinds have demanded. Opponents said the judicial-review limits would shut communities out of decisions that affect them most.

The measure now moves to the House, where leadership has signaled a vote before the October recess.