Trump to create new council, office to fast-track infrastructure projects

President Donald Trump announced the creation of a new council and a new office to make the federal permitting process for infrastructure projects faster and more transparent.

Standing up the two new entities will simplify the permitting process, make it more transparent and cut through bureaucracy, Trump said June 9 in remarks at the Department of Transportation headquarters in Washington, D.C., capping a week-long series of events dubbed infrastructure week.

The purpose of the council is to provide a clear, expedited decision for infrastructure projects and "to help project managers navigate the bureaucratic maze," Trump said.

"Our goal is to give you one point of contact to deliver one decision -- yes or no -- for the entire federal government, and to deliver that decision quickly," he said. "We will get rid of the redundancy and duplication that wastes your time and your money."

Trump also said that the council will also increase transparency and allow the public "to easily track major projects through every stage of the approval process" by creating an online dashboard.

The council will also have an oversight component, the president added.

"This council will make sure that every federal agency that is consistently delaying projects by missing deadlines will face tough, new penalties," he said.

The purpose of the new office, located in the White House’s Council of Environmental Quality, is “to root out inefficiency, clarify lines of authority, and streamline federal and state and local procedures so that communities can modernize their aging infrastructure without fear of outdated federal rules getting in their way,” Trump said.

On June 8, the Transportation Department issued a notice on the Federal Register announcing it is reviewing its existing policy and regulations and is seeking public comments and suggestions by July 24.