Sponsors (2)
The bill preserves existing cross-border energy permits to protect project continuity, reduce regulatory uncertainty, and support regional energy reliability, but it does so by constraining presidential authority to act quickly on security or environmental risks and by shifting contentious decisions to Congress.
Utilities and energy companies can keep existing cross-border pipeline and transmission permits without risk of unilateral Presidential revocation, allowing projects to continue without permit-related halts.
Projects that cross international borders face reduced regulatory uncertainty, which can shorten delays and lower construction and financing costs for companies and ultimately taxpayers.
Border communities and consumers retain access to existing cross-border energy infrastructure, supporting more reliable energy supply in affected regions.
Taxpayers and federal decisionmakers lose a tool for rapid executive action because the President would be constrained from revoking existing permits in response to urgent national-security or foreign-policy concerns.
Border communities and the public may face prolonged environmental or public-health risks because the executive branch would have reduced flexibility to remove or halt harmful pipelines or transmission lines.
Disputes over revocation would likely shift to Congress, increasing legislative workload and creating potential delays and costs for taxpayers, local governments, and affected communities.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Stops the President from revoking permits for cross-border oil/gas pipelines and electric transmission facilities unless Congress authorizes the revocation by law.
Official title: To prohibit the President from revoking Presidential permits relating to cross-border energy facilities.
Introduced February 25, 2025 by Tim Walberg · Last progress February 25, 2025
Prohibits the President from revoking Presidential permits or other federal permits/authorizations that allow construction, connection, operation, or maintenance of oil or natural gas pipelines, electric transmission facilities, and their border-crossing facilities unless Congress passes a law that explicitly authorizes such a revocation. The bill defines covered terms (borrowing the Natural Gas Act definition of natural gas and defining “oil” as petroleum or petroleum products) and thus places a statutory limitation on executive authority to withdraw those authorizations.