House Advances Major AI Infrastructure Bill Backed by Trump Administration
The House of Representatives narrowly approved legislation designed to streamline federal permitting for artificial intelligence infrastructure projects, marking another major step in President Donald Trump’s broader push to ensure the United States maintains technological dominance over China.
The legislation, known as the SPEED Act, passed by a razor-thin 218-213 vote after a tense battle on the House floor that nearly derailed the measure amid conservative objections tied to renewable energy provisions.
Backed by major American technology companies including OpenAI, Microsoft, and Micron Technology, the bill aims to accelerate construction of critical infrastructure needed to power the nation’s rapidly growing AI industry.
Supporters of the legislation argue that America cannot afford years-long environmental review delays while communist China aggressively expands its own artificial intelligence capabilities.
“The electricity we will need to power AI computing for civilian and military use is a national imperative,” said Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Arkansas.
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The SPEED Act would overhaul portions of the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the federal law that governs environmental reviews for large-scale infrastructure projects.
Among its key provisions, the bill would slash the current six-year statute of limitations for NEPA-related lawsuits down to just 150 days while also imposing stricter deadlines on environmental reviews that often stall projects for years.
Even some Democrats have acknowledged that permitting bottlenecks have become a major obstacle to energy development and infrastructure expansion in the United States.
With massive AI data centers placing unprecedented demands on America’s electrical grid, lawmakers from both parties have faced growing pressure to modernize permitting rules before the nation falls behind foreign competitors.
The bill’s Democratic co-sponsor, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, argued the legislation would allow the United States to remain globally competitive.
The SPEED Act would enable the United States to be “nimble enough to build what we need, when we need it,” according to Golden.
Still, most Democrats ultimately opposed the legislation, demanding that any permitting overhaul undermine President Trump’s actions aimed at slowing offshore wind expansion and other taxpayer-backed renewable energy projects.
Republican leadership further intensified Democrat opposition after inserting language shielding President Trump’s efforts to halt certain renewable projects from provisions limiting executive authority over permit decisions.
Conservative lawmakers also pushed for additional concessions during procedural negotiations, leading to last-minute amendments before final passage.
“That provision codifies a broken permitting status quo. I look forward to working with my colleagues across the aisle in the Senate to craft a bipartisan product that can become law,” said Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., who supports permitting reform but voted against the SPEED Act.
The legislation now heads to the Senate, where lawmakers are expected to incorporate it into a broader national debate over federal permitting reform and America’s long-term energy strategy.
The vote comes as the Trump administration dramatically expands its efforts to build America’s AI capabilities through a newly announced federal initiative known as the “U.S. Tech Force.”
The program, unveiled earlier this month, will recruit roughly 1,000 engineers and technology specialists to work directly on artificial intelligence infrastructure and modernization projects across the federal government.
According to official administration materials, participants will commit to two-year assignments working alongside agency leadership in coordination with major private-sector technology partners.
Those partners include Amazon Web Services, Apple, Google, Dell Technologies, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, Oracle Corporation, Palantir Technologies, and Salesforce.
The Trump administration has increasingly framed artificial intelligence development as both an economic and national security priority as the United States competes directly with China for technological supremacy.
The Tech Force initiative was announced just days after President Trump signed a sweeping executive order establishing a national AI policy framework intended to reduce regulatory barriers and accelerate American innovation.
Officials say members who complete the program may later pursue full-time employment with participating technology firms, while private-sector employees may also rotate into temporary government service.
“We’re trying to reshape the workforce to make sure we have the right talent on the right problems,” U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor recently told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.