Today, Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) released the following statements after President Biden announced a pause of pending approvals of liquified natural gas (LNG) export terminals under the guise of climate change.
“The Biden Administration’s decision to deny future LNG export permits is yet another assault on American energy production that jeopardizes our national security and global energy markets,” said Chairman Newhouse. “Instead of supporting our allies in Europe who are looking to end reliance on Russian natural gas, the Biden Administration has indefinitely paused the most reliable alternative in order to bend the knee to the extreme climate lobby. From his day one decision to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline to today’s announcement, President Biden’s war on domestic energy is a continued gift to Vladimir Putin. This decision must be reversed immediately.”
“President Biden’s decision to indefinitely pause LNG export permits prioritizes the wishes of radical liberals over U.S. energy security and the security of our allies," said Chair McMorris Rodgers. "This is another gift to Putin. Everyday Americans want our energy unleashed to strengthen the economy, safeguard jobs, and keep us secure. That’s what Republicans will continue to fight for.”
Background:
In 2023, the United States was number one in global LNG exports, totaling 11.6 billion cubic feet per day and almost $4 billion in revenue.
39% of domestic electricity generation comes from natural gas, making it the largest source of electricity in the United States. Without exports, many LNG businesses would become economically unviable.
58% of U.S. LNG exports go to Western Europe and South Korea - countries which are dangerously reliant on energy from our global adversaries.
The shift to natural gas is solely responsible for 60% of U.S. carbon emission reductions.
