During debate on HR 4776, the SPEED Act, the U.S. House of Representatives adopted Amendment #4, offered by Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) and cosponsored by Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), which is absolutely critical for preserving the Trump administration’s ability to continue its much-need reviews of ocean wind projects off of the Atlantic Coast due to overwhelming safety and national defense concerns.

                The amendment was drafted following a December 5^th letter to President Trump, led by Smith and cosigned by Harris and Van Drew, which raised concerns over the legislation’s potential to undermine the Trump administration’s ability to review offshore wind industrialization, should the bill be enacted.

                With the adoption of the Harris/Smith/Van Drew amendment, the provisions of the SPEED Act will no longer nullify the administrative actions undertaken by the Trump administration prior to the bill’s enactment.

                This amendment preserves vital tools for President Trump to deliver on his promise to end the ill-conceived ocean wind industrialization experiment off the New Jersey coast.

                The SPEED Act and the critical Harris/Smith/Van Drew amendment passed the House on Thursday, December 18^th and is now pending in the Senate.

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