First Look: Biden betrayed permitting deal, EPW Republicans say

Driving the news: Republicans on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee are expected to submit a blistering comment letter today to the Council of Environmental Quality on proposed NEPA rule changes that implement permitting language in the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

• The letter — led by ranking member Shelley Moore Capito and shared exclusively with Axios ahead of submission — says CEQ "acted contrary to clear congressional intent and explicit direction" while "inject[ing] more uncertainty and potential legal liability into an already labyrinthine process."

Context: The FRA set 1-to-2 year timelines for environmental reviews and a right of legal action against the government for failing to meet them.

What they're saying: The FRA was supposed to make things faster, but Biden's undermining that with other parts of his implementation rule-making, the senators argue.

• "The administration is trying to mask this willful misinterpretation of the law by deceptively referring to the overall proposal as the 'Bipartisan Permitting Reform Implementation Rule,'" the letter says.
• It says the proposed rule "seeks to implement partisan policy priorities that undermine the bipartisan NEPA reforms in the FRA."

• The letter also accuses the administration of trying to only speed up "projects that currently have the backing of the Biden administration."

Between the lines: It's not just Garret Graves any more. Complaints now are loudly coming from Republicans crucial to the Joe Manchin-led permitting talks in the Senate, as EPW has some jurisdiction over the subject.

What we're watching: The flood of other comments CEQ is probably buried under, as today's the deadline. Hope you got your word in.