Delivered July 10, 2013

The Honorable Spencer T. Bachus, III
Chairman, Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform & Antitrust Law
Committee on the Judiciary
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Stephen Cohen
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform & Antitrust Law
Committee on the Judiciary
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Bachus and Ranking Member Cohen:

On behalf of the CEO members of Business Roundtable, who lead major U.S. companies with more than $7.3 trillion in annual revenues and nearly 16 million employees, I write to express strong support for the Responsibly and Professionally Invigorating Development (RAPID) Act of 2013.

The Business Roundtable has consistently identified overly complex and costly federal regulations as a barrier to economic recovery and job creation. Last year, the Roundtable released Permitting Jobs and Business Investment: Streamlining the Federal Permitting Process, which proposed comprehensive reforms to expedite federal permits and speed the siting and construction of major industrial infrastructure projects.

The RAPID Act would provide a streamlined process for obtaining environmental permits and approvals for certain projects in a timely and efficient manner, which would help drive increased economic growth and investment.

We are grateful for your leadership on these issues and look forward to working with you and your staff on these important matters.

Sincerely,

Andrew Liveris
Chairman and CEO, The Dow Chemical Company
Chair, Select Committee on Smart Regulation, Business Roundtable