"The other thing I’ve been working day and night on, and I hope I’m very successful because I think it’ll be great for coal and coal mining and really all energy development, is permitting reform," Capito said. ... Reforms being looked at include streamlining the National Environmental Policy Act process; limiting the ability of courts to indefinitely stall permitted projects; reforming provisions within the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act that are viewed as obstructions to development...
Pursue comprehensive permitting reform for energy projects, including streamlining the National Environmental Policy Act process, reforming Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act provisions, and limiting court delays on permitted projects.
Occurrences
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee (RPC), spoke at the Senate Republican Leadership press conference in support of the SAVE America Act. Capito emphasized the need for comprehensive permitting reform to remove bureaucratic barriers and accelerate energy infrastructure projects, specifically mentioning reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act process and regulatory improvements for energy development.
She has also prioritized permitting reform and support for coal communities.
During her speech on the SAVE America Act, Senator Capito highlighted the urgent need for permitting reform, specifically mentioning the burdensome processes under NEPA and the Clean Water Act. She committed to working to change these laws to speed up energy project approvals.
Capito said the Endangered Species Act has sometimes been used to “unnecessarily slow down progress” in industries including timber, energy and highway construction in West Virginia.
Evidence
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., questioned witnesses during a Senate Environment and Public Works subcommittee hearing on challenges and opportunities in implementing the Endangered Species Act. Capito raised questions about species listed due to natural causes including disease and about differences in how the law is implemented across regions.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., expressed optimism about reforming the federal permitting process for energy projects. She highlighted the need for reasonable deadlines and equal treatment for all types of energy projects, citing the Mountain Valley Pipeline as an example of delays due to lawsuits from environmental groups.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito criticized the White House Council on Environmental Quality's final National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) rules, stating that they add burdensome requirements and unnecessary mandates to the nation's permitting and environmental review process.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, along with Republican members of the EPW Committee, urged the White House to withdraw proposed permitting rules that they argued added confusing and burdensome requirements, contrary to the bipartisan congressional intent of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
Senators John Barrasso and Shelley Moore Capito introduced two pieces of legislation to reform the nation's permitting and environmental review processes, aiming to streamline infrastructure, transportation, and energy projects.
During a Senate Environment & Public Works Committee hearing chaired by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, industry representatives called for reforming the permitting process to expedite major infrastructure projects.
Various industry stakeholders and business organizations expressed support for Sen. Shelley Moore Capito's RESTART Act, which aims to streamline the permitting and environmental review process.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito delivered remarks on the Senate Floor outlining the need for comprehensive, bipartisan reforms to the nation's environmental review and permitting processes.
On May 12, 2026, the Senate Record noted that Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Senator Mike Lee were 'taking the lead to advance commonsense permitting reform' and that Capito, as EPW chair, was one of the key committee leaders on the issue.
In an April 24, 2026 committee-related release, Capito said permitting reform remained a live issue in oversight of federal land and energy development, including references to NEPA and ESA needing to get back to their original purpose rather than 'becoming just weapons to use to stop development in America.'
Assessments
Capito has actively pursued permitting reform in her federal Senate role through introduced legislation such as the RESTART Act, committee leadership, floor speeches, oversight hearings, and opposition to NEPA rules she viewed as increasing permitting delays. However, the evidence does not show enactment of the comprehensive package promised, including broad NEPA streamlining plus Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and litigation-delay reforms. This supports partial credit for sustained, material effort in the same term, but not full delivery of the promised reform outcome.
Sen. Capito took substantial legislative and oversight actions consistent with her promise to pursue comprehensive permitting reform for energy projects, including introducing multiple reform bills, leading hearings, and advocating against new regulatory hurdles. However, there is no evidence comprehensive permitting reform passed into law during the relevant term. Therefore, while significant effort was made, the promised outcome was not delivered.
Extensive evidence demonstrates that Shelley Moore Capito made repeated and significant legislative and public efforts to pursue comprehensive permitting reform, including introducing bills, chairing hearings, advocating for reforms, and opposing federal rule changes she viewed as obstacles. Despite these efforts, there is no direct evidence that comprehensive permitting reform, as promised in the campaign claim (including specific reforms to NEPA, Clean Water Act, ESA, and court delays), was enacted or fully realized during the relevant term. All evidence points to ongoing advocacy and attempts, not actual delivery of the promised outcome.