Washington — In a closely watched vote, the U.S. House of Representatives has approved the SPEED Act, legislation aimed at accelerating federal permitting for large-scale artificial intelligence data centers and supporting power projects.

The bill passed Friday by a narrow 218-to-213 margin, highlighting sharp partisan divides even as lawmakers on both sides recognize AI’s critical role in national security and economic competitiveness.

The SPEED Act targets reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA. It would shorten environmental reviews that have stalled major construction projects for years and cut the statute of limitations for related lawsuits from six years down to just 150 days.

Supporters argue these changes are essential to meet exploding demand for data centers and reliable energy as AI technologies advance rapidly.

Republican lead sponsor Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas called the measure a national imperative: “The expansion of AI computing power for both civilian and military use is a national imperative.” He stressed the need for the U.S. to maintain its technological edge, especially against China.

The legislation drew public support from major tech players including OpenAI, Micron, and Microsoft.

Passage came after last-minute drama. Some conservative Republicans pushed for amendments protecting prior executive actions on offshore wind and other green energy limits. Democrats largely opposed the final version, with Rep. Scott Peters of California warning it codifies a “broken permitting status quo.” He said a more bipartisan approach may need to come from the Senate.

The House action pairs with a new Trump administration initiative: the U.S. Tech Force. This two-year program will recruit about 1,000 engineers and technical experts to modernize federal AI systems in partnership with companies like Amazon Web Services, Apple, Google, Nvidia, Oracle, and Palantir.

Together, the SPEED Act and Tech Force aim to address two major bottlenecks for American AI leadership: regulatory delays and specialized talent shortages. The bill now heads to the Senate, where further negotiations are expected.

This development intensifies the national debate over balancing rapid AI growth with environmental safeguards and partisan priorities in the race for global technological supremacy.