A bipartisan group of over 50 House lawmakers is pushing the Biden administration to end its pause on new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export permits, citing a recent federal court order. They argue that the policy is detrimental to U.S. energy production, both domestically and abroad.
House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, stated, “From day one, President Biden has waged a whole-of-government attack on the American oil and gas industry. Like most of his executive actions, Biden’s ban on U.S. LNG export permits was blocked by the courts; yet, the Biden Administration’s response has been to flout the Judge’s decision and continue failing to approve these permits.”
Arrington, along with four Democrats and 46 Republicans, sent a letter to the Department of Energy (DOE), urging them to reverse the LNG pause, which began in January of this year. The Democrats supporting the rebuke include Reps. Lou Correa, D-Calif.; Henry Cuellar, D-Texas; Jim Costa, D-Calif.; and Jared Golden, D-Maine.
Correa, who believes LNG is “clean and reliable,” emphasized the economic benefits of increased LNG exports, stating, “There were considerable negative economic, national security, and environmental impacts as a result of the Administration’s original pause — and they must begin expediting review of existing LNG export permit applications so that we can create American jobs, support U.S. allies, and reduce carbon emissions.”
The letter, which is backed by industry groups such as the American Petroleum Institute, the Energy Workforce & Technology Council, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Energy Institute, was sent to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, weeks after a federal judge ordered her to lift the pause on new LNG export permits. Judge James Cain, appointed by the Trump administration, granted 16 states’ request for an emergency stay on the policy, arguing that it harmed their economies. This ruling was a major setback for Biden’s climate agenda.
The 51 lawmakers stated in their letter that Biden’s policy “reduced the competitiveness of American energy exporters, restricted critical energy supply to key U.S. allies, and politicized an LNG export approval process that should be based on business considerations and market demand alone.” They cited a 2017 study that projected LNG production could create between 220,000 and 453,000 new U.S. jobs and add $73 billion to the American economy by 2040.
The lawmakers also highlighted the environmental benefits of LNG, stating, “LNG also emits significantly fewer CO2 emissions than other types of energy sources, making the scale-up of this fuel essential as consumers throughout the world look to reduce their carbon footprint. In addition, the export of this fuel was, and continues to be vital for our European allies as these countries overcome the critical energy shortages that ensued following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
The House voted mostly along party lines in February to reverse Biden’s LNG permit pause. The White House opposed the bill but stopped short of threatening a veto.
In April, the White House also rejected a proposal from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to tie Ukraine aid to a reversal of the Biden LNG policy. However, Biden’s pause did have significant support from Democrats. In May, over 70 House and Senate Democrats signed a letter praising the administration’s decision to pause the LNG permit approval process.
Fox News Digital reached out to the DOE for comment.
