Trump staff cuts mean slower permits, Dems say

Between the lines: It’s unclear how this will play out over the long term —whether permit reviewers will be permanently fired or how Trump will administer laws like NEPA.

• But fewer staff can produce shoddier reviews, which can lead to easy challenges in the courts.
• “You can still issue permits quickly if you’re short on staff. But if those permits aren’t high-enough quality to survive legal challenges, then they’re going to have to go back and do them again,” said Philip Rossetti, an energy researcher at the R Street Institute.