Attorney General Bird Sues to Stop Biden Roadblocks for Development Projects
DES MOINES—Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird today led a 20-state lawsuit challenging a new Biden mandate that creates roadblocks for infrastructure projects by forcing social, environmental, and race-based regulations on developers.
The mandate eliminates President Trump’s common-sense reforms that streamlined development, to instead force Biden’s radical green agenda. With the mandate in effect, costs and delays will increase for projects including new housing, power plants, roads, and bridges. Developers will also face an illegal double standard that favors projects aligning with Biden’s extreme green agenda and creates roadblocks for projects that use traditional energy sources. The significant price hikes and delays may force the cancellation of some projects altogether, while American families bear the brunt of increased costs. The mandate even injects undefined terms such as “environmental justice” and “Indigenous Knowledge” into the approval process, adding further confusion and potential delays.
Infrastructure projects across the entire state and country will now face uncertain futures. A few examples include:
- Iowa 12 Gordon Drive Viaduct Replacement in Sioux City: The plan to replace the aging Gordon Drive Viaduct on Iowa 12 may be affected by the new red tape, which would delay vital safety upgrades.
- US 75 Reconstruction in Hinton: The planned reconstruction of US 75 in Hinton by the Iowa DOT is also subject to additional regulations mandated by the new, costly mandate.
- Centennial Bridge Replacement over Mississippi River (Davenport): The plan to replace the US 67 Centennial Bridge over the Mississippi River in Davenport may face significant delays to comply with the new, restrictive review process.
“Iowans are paying the price for Biden’s radical green scheme, again,” said Attorney General Bird. “His latest mandate punishes developers for using traditional energy sources and raises bills for families at a time when they could really use the money. Whether Iowans can build a bridge or a home should be based on environmental science, not politics or social justice. I’m leading 20 states in pushing back.”
The lawsuit follows an Iowa-led, 24-state letter in October opposing the mandate. 17 state governors, including Governor Kim Reynolds, also wrote asking Biden to reverse the rule.
The National Environmental Policy Act violates the Administrative Procedure Act and federal law requiring that significant legislation go through Congress, rather than unelected bureaucrats.
Iowa co-led the lawsuit with North Dakota. They were joined by Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Read the full lawsuit here.
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For More Information:
Alyssa Brouillet | Communications Director
(515) 823-9112
