Less red tape that keeps infrastructure projects on the drawing board.
I will cut red tape so infrastructure projects can move forward.
Occurrences
The Harnessing Energy at Thermal Sources (HEATS) Act, introduced alongside Congresswoman Young Kim (CA-40), will streamline geothermal energy development and production and decrease energy costs.
introduced the Create Expedited Reviews to Transform American Infrastructure Now (CERTAIN) Act
Mr. Gray (for himself and Mr. Rouzer) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Bill Number H.R. 9855 Bill Version Introduced in House (IH) Short Title Certainty and Uniform Reviews for Reliable Energy and Transmission Act Full Title To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to make certain reforms with respect to permits and licenses under such Act, and for other purposes.
Evidence
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On passage, H.R. 5587, the HEATS Act, passed the House 231-186. The bill text and debate state it would waive the federal drilling permit requirement for certain geothermal activities and exempt some activities from NEPA.
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Gray's office said he passed three bipartisan bills on the House floor, including the HEATS Act, which 'will streamline geothermal energy development and production and decrease energy costs.'
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Gray said the Central Valley Project is 'one of the most important water infrastructure systems anywhere in the country' and that 'at least five water projects are effectively stalled because there aren't enough staff to process approvals.' He tied the problem to permitting reform and his Valley Water Protections Act and CERTAIN Act.
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The House passed H.R. 4690, the Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act, on a 215-202 vote. The measure itself is labeled a federal infrastructure bill and moved forward in the same late-April floor package that included Gray-backed permitting legislation.
Assessments
Gray has materially advanced the promise by sponsoring and backing permitting-focused legislation such as the HEATS Act and by pushing executive agencies on stalled approvals, so there is clear effort and some concrete progress. But the available evidence does not show that he has actually delivered broad red-tape cuts for infrastructure projects: the key bill activity cited is House passage rather than final enactment, and Gray was still publicly describing major water projects as stalled for lack of approvals as of May 14, 2026. Because this is tied to an active federal officeholder and ongoing campaign context, the promise is best scored as still unresolved rather than fully delivered or definitively failed.
Gray materially advanced red-tape-cutting infrastructure policy during the same federal term, including House-passed permitting-related legislation such as the HEATS Act and related infrastructure measures. However, the evidence shows House passage and advocacy, not final enactment or completed permitting reform that actually cut red tape across infrastructure projects. His May 2026 statements also describe continuing bottlenecks and stalled water projects, indicating the promised outcome has not been delivered. Because he made serious legislative and oversight efforts but the outcome remains undelivered, this is best scored as a failed delivery with effort credit rather than partial fulfillment.