[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 58 (Thursday, April 25, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H2305-H2306]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1040
                 STRENGTHENING OUR STRATEGIC ALLIANCES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. Turner) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, the American public always decries the 
partisan tone that happens here on this House floor, and I'm always 
amazed when people come down to the House floor and rail on Republicans 
and Democrats and try to place blame. I'm always particularly amazed 
when someone comes to the House floor and blames the Republicans for a 
bill that they voted for. I voted against sequestration, and I 
certainly agree with Mr. Hoyer's current statements of how bad 
sequestration is. It just would have been nice if the consistency was 
there in the actual voting record besides just the attempt to blame 
Republicans.
  This clearly was a project that was proposed by the President. I 
opposed it because I knew it was going to wreak havoc on our national 
security. And I wish those who now see its folly actually had voted 
against it when it was on the House floor.
  But, Mr. Speaker, I'm here today to talk about energy security. It 
continues to play an important role in global relationships and 
dialogue. In my role as chairman of the U.S. delegation to the NATO 
Parliamentary Assembly, many foreign leaders and officials have 
expressed to me the need to diversify energy resources away from one 
source or from unstable regions.
  As we all know, the United States is currently experiencing a surplus 
of natural gas production, helping to keep the price low compared with 
global rates. This is creating opportunities to boost job growth right 
here at home and for U.S. natural gas to compete in the global 
marketplace.
  In fact, a recent Department of Energy commissioned report found that 
increasing exports of natural gas would have positive economic benefits 
for our country. In my home State of Ohio, exploration and development 
in the Utica Shale would have a $5 billion economic

[[Page H2306]]

impact and create or support nearly 66,000 jobs in Ohio by 2014.
  Increasing natural gas exports would not only help reduce our trade 
deficit and create job opportunities for American workers but would 
also help key allies diversify their energy sources, bolster their 
energy and national security, and strengthen our strategic alliances. 
Many of our allies are heavily reliant on natural gas from either one 
country or from unstable regions and are paying significantly higher 
prices.
  Several of the largest natural gas importers are also NATO members 
with strong national security ties to the United States. In recent 
years, several European countries have experienced natural gas supply 
disruptions from Russia, the largest supplier of natural gas to Europe. 
Turkey relies on 20 percent of its natural gas from Iran.
  Earlier this year, Islamist militants attacked a natural gas facility 
in Algeria, which is the third-largest exporter of natural gas to 
Europe.
  Japan, a strategic ally in Asia and already the world's largest 
importer of natural gas, may need to seek greater imports of natural 
gas as a result of the 2011 nuclear plant disaster. Japan already 
relies on 42 percent of its natural gas from Russia, the Middle East, 
and North Africa.
  The surplus of U.S. natural gas production is already having an 
impact on global natural gas markets. Natural gas previously destined 
for the United States, but no longer needed as a result of our domestic 
increased production, has been diverted to other markets. For example, 
in 2012, nearly half of the natural gas supplied to Europe was 
purchased under spot contracts. Helping our allies diversify their 
energy resources is important to strengthening our partnerships and 
bolstering security.
  Under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act, companies seeking to export 
natural gas must receive permits from the Department of Energy, which 
determines if such exports are in the public interest. Export permits 
to U.S.-free trade countries are automatically approved. Non-free trade 
countries must go through a process.
  In general, when it comes to exporting U.S. goods, we often talk 
about barriers in other countries for U.S. producers that they must 
overcome to sell their products, but in this instance we have a 
domestic barrier that prevents us from exporting our natural gas to 
consumers willing and eager to buy.
  There are currently 20 applications before the Department of Energy 
from companies seeking approval to export natural gas. As the DOE 
evaluates these applications, I hope it takes into consideration the 
domestic economic benefits.
  I have authored bipartisan and bicameral legislation, H.R. 580, the 
Expedited LNG for American Allies Act, which would make approval of 
export licenses to NATO countries and Japan automatic. This bill 
creates a process that allows the addition of other foreign countries 
to this list if the Secretary of State deems, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Defense, that it would be in our national interest.
  Exporting U.S. natural gas presents opportunities to create American 
jobs while helping to bolster our strategic alliances. I urge all of my 
colleagues to support this important bill that would have great 
economic impacts for the United States.

                          ____________________