Today, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) joined Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) in introducing the Unlocking Domestic LNG Potential Act to depoliticize 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.

This 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 Biden administration is playing politics with affordable and reliable American energy,” said Sen. Mullin. “Last year, the United States exported more LNG than any other country. Americans rely on LNG to heat our homes and stabilize the economy, and our allies rely on American LNG to replace Russian natural gas. This politically motivated, ill-timed decision to push the far left’s radical green agenda during a time of economic uncertainty and heightened global unrest couldn’t be more telling of the Biden administration’s priorities. I am glad to join Senator Scott and my colleagues in removing DOE from this process.”

“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 Sen. 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.), 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.
• 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.