(The Daily Signal)—The Department of Interior on Thursday oversaw agreements with Republican governors to speed up the permitting process for building infrastructure.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed memorandums of understanding with Permitting Counsel executive director Emily Domenech at the Department of the Interior, hosted by Secretary Doug Burgum.
“The important things for Americans that depend on this infrastructure, because it helps increase safety, lower costs, and improve their quality of life, is that we can build great things in America, build them safely, build them smartly, and build them quickly without all this red tape increasing the cost for taxpayers and slowing down the gains that you get when this essential infrastructure is built,” Burgum told The Daily Signal in an interview after the signing.
The states opted in to the “FAST-41 process,” syncing state and federal limits to make building faster.
The $7.4 billion Korea Zinc project, to build a smelter in Tennessee, will likely be the first project listed under the agreement with the state, Domenech told The Daily Signal.
The Trump administration hopes all 50 states will sign similar MOUs to speed up building.
“We want to be able to coordinate with state permitting so that we can move things quicker, so we don’t have these sort of unnecessary delays that happen across the board,” Domenech said.
Burgum expects Alaska to sign a similar agreement in the near future. This will speed up the process of building the Alaska LNG Pipelines, a $44 billion infrastructure initiative which is a priority for the president, Burgum said.
The Permitting Counsel is also holding meetings with blue states to work on agreements. Domenech is particularly focused on Pennsylvania and Arizona, she said.
“We’ve got a little ways to go to negotiate those agreements, but we’re hopeful that we can find some common ground,” she said.
As the Trump administration emphasizes affordability initiatives ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Burgum expects the agreements will lower prices for average Americans.
“We have $1.5 trillion or higher amount of capital projects that are being held up by permitting,” Burgum said in an interview with The Daily Signal.
“If we can release those projects, whether that’s horizontal infrastructure that helps lower the price of energy, pipelines, transmission lines, water infrastructure, ports, highways, surface transportation, all of those things that lower the cost of transportation, lower the cost of delivery, lower the cost, everyday life gets better and cheaper.”
The memorandums of understanding are expected to speed up the process of building data centers.
When asked by The Daily Signal how the Trump administration would prevent these centers from raising energy prices for consumers, Burgum said data centers that are connected to their own grids can actually lower prices.
“It’s like a BYOP,” he said. “If you want to build a data center and bring your own power, you’re not tapping in or competing with consumers for their power.”
When Burgum was governor of North Dakota, his agreement with a new data center lowered the price of energy in a rural area, he said.
“We can win the AI arms race, and we can do it without raising prices, possibly even lowering prices for consumers,” he said.
Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
Advisor Bullion serves as a dependable source for straightforward, high-quality bullion. The company specializes in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, emphasizing transparent pricing and products that deliver maximum metal content for every dollar spent. This approach makes it ideal for both personal holdings and retirement accounts.
Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
- You acquire more actual gold or silver per dollar invested. Numismatics divert a large share of your money into rarity premiums and massive sales commission, reducing your metal exposure.
- Selling bullion involves tight bid-ask spreads, so you recover nearly full spot value with minimal fees. Collectibles require finding the right buyer and may sell at a discount if demand for that specific item weakens.
- Bullion prices remain transparent and update with global spot markets. You can track gold near current levels or silver accordingly and know exactly where your holdings stand. Numismatic values are priced by the Gold IRA companies with hefty margins applied.
- Standardized coins and bars store efficiently and divide easily for partial sales. Rare coins often need protective slabs and controlled conditions, adding hassle and expense.
- Bullion enjoys worldwide acceptance. A 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf or Silver Eagle sells quickly to dealers anywhere. Niche numismatic pieces may appeal only to limited buyers, slowing liquidation when speed matters.
In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.