[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 123 (Tuesday, July 18, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S3063]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 885. Mr. RUBIO submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2024 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place in subtitle G of title X, insert 
     the following:

     SEC. 10____. NATURAL GAS EXPORTS TO ALLIES AND STRATEGIC 
                   PARTNERS.

       (a) Finding.--Congress finds that expediting the approval 
     of natural gas export applications for projects intended to 
     increase the capacity of the United States to export natural 
     gas to allies and strategic partners will--
       (1) empower United States natural gas exporters to better 
     assist the strategic and national security interests of the 
     United States and allies and strategic partners of the United 
     States; and
       (2) lead to job growth, economic development, and energy 
     security.
       (b) Natural Gas Exports.--Section 3(c) of the Natural Gas 
     Act (15 U.S.C. 717b(c)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``(c) For purposes'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(c) Expedited Application and Approval Process.--
       ``(1) Definition of covered nation.--
       ``(A) In general.--In this subsection, the term `covered 
     nation'--
       ``(i) means an ally described in section 3(b)(2) of the 
     Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2753(b)(2)); and
       ``(ii) during the period described in subparagraph (B), 
     includes Cyprus, Moldova, Sweden, Taiwan, and Ukraine.
       ``(B) Period described.--The period described in this 
     subparagraph is the period--
       ``(i) beginning on the date of enactment of the National 
     Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024; and
       ``(ii) ending on December 31, 2030, or such later date as 
     the President determines is in the interest of national 
     defense (as defined in section 702 of the Defense Production 
     Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 4552)) or is otherwise in the 
     interests of the United States.
       ``(2) Expedited approval.--Except as provided in paragraph 
     (3), for purposes'';
       (2) in paragraph (2) (as so designated), by inserting ``the 
     exportation of natural gas to a covered nation,'' before ``or 
     the exportation''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) Exclusions.--
       ``(A) Nations subject to sanctions.--The Commission shall 
     not grant expedited approval under paragraph (2) of an 
     application for exportation of natural gas to any nation that 
     is subject to sanctions or trade restrictions imposed by the 
     United States.
       ``(B) Nations designated by congress.--The Commission shall 
     not grant expedited approval under paragraph (2) of an 
     application for exportation of natural gas to any nation 
     designated by an Act of Congress as excluded from such 
     expedited approval for reasons of national security.''.
       (c) Effect.--The amendments made by subsection (b) shall 
     not affect any Federal authorization to export natural gas 
     from the United States to a foreign nation or to import 
     natural gas into the United States from a foreign nation that 
     is in effect on the date of enactment of this Act.
                                 ______