Administration Set to Deliberately Pause U.S. LNG Export Permitting to Court Radical Enviornmental Voters

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) led 24 Republican colleagues in blasting the Biden administration’s executive order to re-evaluate the criteria to approve permits for liquified natural gas (LNG) export projects in order to pacify the radical climate lobby. In the letter, the senators also express concerns regarding DOE’s intent to pause all pending non-Free Trade Agreement (FTA) export permit.

“This ‘LNG Plan’ drafted without input from Congress could have significant economic, environmental, and national security consequences domestically and globally. It would be reckless to jeopardize our advantage, especially in a world where energy is frequently being used as a geopolitical weapon,” wrote the senators to Biden and U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. “ . . . Limiting U.S. LNG exports do not have any impact on the world’s demand for natural gas. Instead, countries including Russia and Iran will simply produce more energy that is subject to less stringent environmental regulations. As a result, limiting American LNG exports in the name of stopping climate change could do just the opposite and add to global emissions.” 

“We strongly urge you to stop this shortsighted effort. As the President of the United States and as the Secretary of Energy, you should be championing – not undermining – American LNG exports and the environmental, economic, and national security benefits to the United States and our allies,” wrote the Senators.

Risch and Cassidy were joined by U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and John Kennedy (R-La.) in signing the letter.

Read the full letter  here.