Earlier this week, the Senate voted 73-25 to advance and open debate on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA, S. 5653, H.R 2347). This vote is extremely disappointing, but the fight is not over. While the bill's lead sponsors negotiated some modest changes to the bill's historic preservation title ahead of that vote, these changes did not go nearly far enough and left the bill's central flaws in place.

A group of Senators led by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) has proposed an amendment that would remove the harmful historic preservation title entirely.

This bill presents the biggest threat to the National Historic Preservation Act in the law’s 60 year history.

With the Senate is expected to hold a final vote on the bill as soon as next week, Congress needs to hear from you!

Senate Request:

Urge your Senators to support Sen. Schiff's amendment to strike harmful historic preservation provisions from the permitting bill. If the amendment is not adopted, ask them to VOTE NO on the final bill!

House Request:

Urge your Representative to REJECT the Senate permitting bill as it is currently drafted and work to strike harmful historic preservation provisions from the final bill.

Talking points

• It shuts communities out. It weakens consultation with State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices and lets federal agencies override preservation concerns on their own.
• It means less review. Nearly all federally funded projects would be exempt, and many visual, atmospheric, and audible impacts wouldn’t count as harm.
• It won’t make permitting faster. Cutting out the people who know these places best means more conflict and more delay.
• It was rushed. It was written behind closed doors, with no committee hearing and no input from the preservation community.

This is a all hands on deck moment! Congress needs to hear from you that safeguarding our shared heritage is non negotiable!