As soon as Nov. 9, the United States Senate will vote on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (BAAJA) that would give the fossil fuel industry free reign to expand their harmful oil, gas and petrochemical projects with little oversight.
As the PGCC Steering Committee, we oppose this bill because it would eviscerate our ability to meaningfully engage in the permitting process and bring forward lawsuits that work to preserve, monitor and regenerate our communities’ municipal and vast natural resources. BAAJA grants the fossil fuel industry further access to our air, land, water and soil while gutting necessary tools to prevent them from harming our communities. This “dirty deal” would also:
Exacerbate the current data center rollout we are seeing happen at incredibly fast rates;
Fast track permits and applications for projects without giving organizations, communities and tribes sufficient time to gather real information about the impact of those projects on our communities;
Gut every bedrock environmental law, including Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), eliminating or nearly eliminating reviews for major federal projects such as pipelines, extraction infrastructure, and other water-intensive and polluting projects; and
Make Tribal consultation discretionary, undermining Tribal sovereignty over their own sacred lands.
As Steering Committee members, we are asking our allies to oppose this bill by reading and sharing this Opposition Guide created by People vs. Fossil Fuels; includes sample social media posts, call scripts, calls for videos, and more.
If you are interested in speaking to the PGCC Steering Committee or have any questions or concerns, please contact our Coalition Coordinator, Angel Ulloa at aulloa@permiangulfcoastcoalition.org
Signed,
Permian Gulf Coast Coalition Steering Committee