Sen. Ben Ray Luján Expressed Frustration, Dedication to Federal Permitting Reform
Despite partisan challenges, Luján said moving past them was necessary for the U.S. to become a world leader.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2026 – Permitting reform is a bipartisan issue and should no longer be stalled or slowed, Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., because doing so is vital for expanding artificial intelligence and technology in the United States.
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Speaking at the INCOMPAS Policy Summit here on Wednesday, Luján expressed frustration over the lack of bipartisanship, in the past several months, on proposed permitting reforms.
As an example, he cited former Sen. Joe Manchin, D- W.V., who had drafted a bipartisan permitting reform bill including broadband infrastructure provisions. His bill collapsed after Republican lawmakers withdrew their support in retaliation for Manchin’s votes for other Democratic priorities.
The bill had been developed with multiple senators, including Luján, and “just went down for partisan reasons,” Luján said.
“Common sense should be driving this conversation, not the partisanship,” Luján said. “We’ve got to get this done. Infrastructure should not be this challenging and it should not be this expensive.”
“Right now, the Europeans and others are the ones driving the bus here, and the United States needs to get back in front, or we’re going to be left behind,” Luján said.
Yet he voiced hope: “And so I’m optimistic. We got to get this stuff done on permitting reform. I believe it’s bipartisan.”
Luján shared that without universal broadband infrastructure, small businesses, telemedicine, AI and health care falters, putting the country further behind other nations.
Trump transmission corridors?
Luján also discussed the importance of transmission corridors and the need for the Trump administration to reverse the cancellation of these wind and solar energy projects. They are essential to power data centers, he said.
“If we can get the White House to get some of these transmission projects back in play, I think it solves the dilemma,” Luján said. “It’s in his interest. He can take credit for this — we’ll name one after him, or two.”
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