Senator Scott Bucks Biden’s Halt of American Energy Exports, Introduces Bill to Boost American Energy Independence, Dominance

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) introduced the Unlocking Domestic LNG Potential Act, which depoliticizes the export of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) by eliminating the requirement for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to authorize its export and instead giving the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) sole authority over the approval process.

Senator Scott’s legislation comes just days after President Biden handed a major victory to both Vladimir Putin and far-left climate activists by pausing approvals of pending applications for LNG exports. The president’s anti-energy decision is a major blow to American energy independence and will only increase global reliance on Russia and other bad actors around the world.

“President Biden’s move to halt American energy exports is pure politics. In fact, exporting U.S. natural gas would actually lower global emissions,” said Senator Scott. “President Biden is dead set on bowing to the far-left and making the U.S. and our allies more reliant on foreign adversaries like Russia. Instead, I’m fighting to unleash America’s abundant natural resources, bolster our energy independence and safeguard our national security.”

The bill is cosponsored by Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and John Thune (R-S.D.).

Similar legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives earlier this Congress by former Representative Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) and was included in both H.R.1, the Low Energy Costs Act, and H.R. 2811, the Limit, Save, Grow Act. Both of those bills passed the House of Representatives and have since stalled in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

BACKGROUND

• Last week, the Biden administration paused approvals of pending applications for LNG exports.
• On the very same day, Senator Scott joined Senator Bill Cassidy and 24 of their Republican colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden and Secretary Granholm of the DOE condemning the so-called “LNG plan.”
• U.S. gas exports have more than quadrupled in the past decade, making America the largest natural gas exporter in the world.
• As tensions rise around the world, there is a growing demand for American energy from our international partners in Europe, the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere.
• Our European allies, for example, have become increasingly reliant on the U.S. for LNG in light of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
• This LNG plan places the Biden administration in the position of choosing between strengthening U.S. national security by helping our partners and allies or caving to progressive activists.

Senator Scott promotes a firm commitment to American energy dominance and independence by:

• Championing the Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) from China Act, which would strengthen our energy security by prohibiting the sale of American crude oil from the SPR to any company under Chinese Communist Party (CCP) control and bar the exportation of SPR crude oil to China;
• Advocating for the Energy Security Cooperation with Allied Partners in Europe (ESCAPE) Act to weaken Russia’s ability to influence our European allies by promoting energy independence;
• Urging Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan to withdraw the unlawful “Clean Power Plan 2.0” that effectively shuts down affordable and reliable energy;
• Championing the Pay Less at the Pump Act to lower energy prices for Americans by repealing the Inflation Reduction Act’s reinstatement of the $10.5 billion “Superfund Tax” on crude oil and imported petroleum products; and
• Introducing the Promoting Domestic Energy Production Act, which would allow companies to consider intangible drilling costs (IDCs) when calculating taxable income. This change would lower energy production costs, creating savings for American families.