[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 19 (Tuesday, February 2, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S453-S454]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    ENERGY POLICY MODERNIZATION BILL

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, there are a lot of reasons to like 
the broad bipartisan Energy bill which is before us. You will like it 
if you are an American interested in producing more energy. You will 
like it if you are interested in paying less for energy. You will like 
it if you are an American interested in saving energy. There are a lot 
of important reasons to support the Energy Policy Modernization Act.
  Here's another one. You will like it if you are an American 
interested in bolstering your country's long-term national security. 
That is always important, and Americans are telling us it is especially 
important today. They see our commanders, for instance, attempting to 
juggle myriad threats from across the globe with diminishing force 
structure. Well, if we are interested in improving our overall 
strategic position, then there are ways this broad bipartisan Energy 
bill can help.
  First, the Energy Policy Modernization Act is designed to boost 
America's liquefied natural gas exports. That doesn't just hold 
potential for America's economy, it holds potential for America's 
global leadership, including the security of our allies. We know that 
Russia is the dominant supplier of natural gas to Western Europe, and 
we know that building America's own export capacity can enhance 
European energy security in the long run. So, in broad strokes, ``by 
increasing our ability to export natural gas--in the form of liquefied 
natural gas or LNG--to Europe, the U.S. can weaken Russia's strategic 
stronghold while boosting our domestic economy by increasing energy 
exports.'' That is how Congressman Calvert, a Republican, and 
Congressman Israel, a Democrat, put it in an op-ed they authored last 
year after returning from a trip to Ukraine.
  Here is what a former Obama energy adviser wrote in November: 
``Increased LNG trade can also enhance energy security for our 
allies,'' he said. ``[Russian state-owned energy giant] Gazprom's grip 
on Europe is weakening, and U.S. LNG will accelerate that shift even as 
Russia seeks to counter it. . . .''
  Enhancing America's own export capacity is also important when you 
consider that Iran has just been freed from Western sanctions and is 
looking to expand its own trade in energy resources, including its 
natural gas potential. Robust LNG exports to Asia can also enhance 
America's stature there, too, and give our allies in the region a 
stable source of energy.
  Boosting America's natural gas exports is one reason to support the 
bill, but here is another. The Energy Policy Modernization Act is 
designed to reduce our foreign reliance on minerals and raw materials 
needed for everything from military assets to smart phones.
  We can strengthen American mineral security by developing our world-
class American mineral base. The necessary modern policies can move us 
ahead, and this bill contains positive steps forward.
  Here's what else this bill would do. The Energy Policy Modernization 
Act is designed to defend our national energy grid from terrorist cyber 
attacks. It would help prepare us by authorizing additional cyber 
security research, it would help deter attacks by erecting stronger 
cyber security defenses, and it would help provide for faster and more 
effective responses when threats do arise.
  At the end of the day, here is what you can say about the Energy 
Policy Modernization Act. It aims to make America more secure in an era 
of insecurity. It aims to make America more prosperous in a time of 
economic uncertainty. It is a bipartisan bill that deserves to pass. It 
is great to see so many Republicans and Democrats in this Chamber who 
actually agree with that. It is great to see both sides working with 
the bill managers to process amendments and move this legislation 
along.
  I ask Members to continue working in the same spirit of cooperation.

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