Editorial: The 'abundance agenda' and permitting reform

Democrats are increasingly backing an “abundance agenda,” a shift argued to speed delivery of housing, infrastructure, and other “vital goods” by reducing administrative and regulatory obstacles. The push follows the 2025 book Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, which argues that an oversized administrative state raises costs and suppresses both public- and private-sector projects. A key test is a permitting reform bill pending in Congress: the September-introduced Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026. Backed by top members from both parties’ Energy and Natural Resources and Environment and Public Works committees, the legislation would set deadlines for environmental reviews, limit judicial delay tactics, streamline redundant assessments, and restrict permit reversals.