lawmakers criticized the White House decision to deny new export licenses for liquefied natural gas(LNG) as catering to climate radicals at the expense of our energy security, economy and national security.
On Tuesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee hosted a hearing to consider this issue. Republicans strongly condemned President Trump’s administration, alleging they are endangering domestic jobs and energy interests through these proposals.
President Trump’s move
Environmentalists and low-income communities of color who have been negatively impacted by fossil fuel development applauded President Trump’s move to temporarily suspend LNG export approvals while Energy Department studies their impacts on climate change and national security. But it’s important to remember that this action doesn’t constitute an outright ban as some have claimed.
The Obama administration has said its pause will last until they update its economic and environmental analyses, which it claims are outdated and fail to account for considerations such as potential energy costs for American consumers and manufacturers. This move has drawn widespread criticism from Republicans – including Louisiana and Texas attorneys general’s letters accusing Biden’s administration of giving in to pressure from “young climate activists”.
They argue that actions such as this undermine global energy security, damage investments in American energy projects and send the signal that our allies no longer can rely on us as leaders for energy issues.
LNG exports
Chairwoman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Cathy McMorris Rodgers strongly opposed President Biden’s administration’s move to suspend new LNG export approvals as she felt this “undercut U.S. economic and security interests while emboldening adversaries like Russia”.
The panel also approved sending to the House floor a bill to overturn President Trump’s recent order to review all pending applications for LNG exports to non-Free Trade Agreement countries. Vote is expected next week.
Twenty-three Republican-led states recently sent a letter to the Department of Energy and President Biden requesting they review the LNG export review process. Citing “major questions,” these states invoked legal theory which holds that Congress must specifically authorize federal agencies to address political or economically significant issues; additionally state attorneys general noted that under law it requires DOE to approve LNG exports unless they are contrary to national interest; this letter was also supported by frontline climate activists.
American jobs & energy prices
Bipartisan attorneys general from Republican-leaning states have written to Vice President Biden accusing his administration of ushering in an unexpected freeze that bows to young climate activists while damaging American jobs, energy prices and the economy. Furthermore, their letter warns that Biden’s LNG-export ban threatens global energy security as well as U.S. leadership on global energy markets.
The attorneys general, led by Washington’s Cathy McMorris Rodgers and South Carolina’s Jeff Duncan, argue that any delay on LNG export approvals will hurt America’s ability to sell energy to our allies while giving an unfair edge to adversaries. Furthermore, studies demonstrate that young voters were pivotal in Biden’s 2020 victory and public opinion regarding climate change is rapidly evolving.
Environmentalists fear that stopping LNG exports would undo America’s efforts to wean Europe off Russian gas and help curb global emissions. Natural gas burns more cleanly than coal; restricting American exports may force nations to switch back to more costly, polluting fossil fuels like coal instead.
America’s Economy
The administration’s recent decision to temporarily halt approval of new LNG export projects by the Energy Department for countries without free trade agreements met with instant and widespread criticism, from elected leaders, foreign officials and domestic industry leaders alike. They all agree that such an action would damage America’s economy, eliminate American jobs and increase Europe and Asia’s dependence on Russia, the Middle East and China for energy supplies.
Attorneys general from 23 Republican-led states sent a letter to the White House this week demanding that President Donald Trump’s administration resume LNG export approvals as quickly as possible or risk legal action from them. Their states rely heavily on natural gas for economic development purposes and could be hurt by his administration’s LNG decision, drawing criticism from Democrats such as Pennsylvania Senators John Fetterman and Bob Casey who pledged their opposition if it impacted jobs in their states.
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