[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 20 (Monday, February 5, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H413-H419]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        LNG BAN HURTS AMERICANS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ezell). Under the Speaker's announced

[[Page H414]]

policy of January 9, 2023, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce) 
is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of this 
Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, it is a sad day to see an 
administration choose party over country, radical views over the common 
good, and leftwing environmentalists over the American people. However, 
that is what happened a week and a half ago when President Biden halted 
permitting additional liquefied natural gas export facilities.
  Let's be clear, this is not a pause. It is the first step of a 
process to ban outright any future export of LNG. This was a political 
decision to pander to the far left that will increase energy prices for 
American households. It will abandon our allies in their time of energy 
need. It will harm family-sustaining jobs, and it will relinquish 
American global energy leadership.
  We will hear tonight from my colleagues of the many ways LNG exports 
strengthen our economic well-being and how this ban will weaken 
American security around the world.
  First, before we get ahead of ourselves, let's quickly discuss the 
LNG industry, what it is, and why it is so important. LNG stands for 
liquefied natural gas. In a process where natural gas is cooled to a 
temperature of minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit, the gas becomes a liquid 
with a volume of one-six hundredth of its original size. This decrease 
in volume is what creates the possibility for LNG to be shipped around 
the world.
  The exportation of LNG is only possible because of two incredible 
American technological achievements. The first took place in 1959 when 
an American proved that you could successfully and safely ship 
liquefied natural gas. The second was the shale revolution of the 
2000s, and suddenly States like Pennsylvania, Texas, North Dakota, and 
Louisiana were able to produce huge amounts of natural gas.
  This production dropped energy costs for Americans and led to our 
Nation being a net exporter of energy for the first time in 60 years. 
It was the technological innovation of extracting natural gas from 
shale that dramatically increased production. That, paired with our 
ability to liquefy natural gas and ship it, has allowed all of this to 
happen.
  The American people have benefited significantly from these advances. 
The ability to export natural gas has driven investment to continue 
increasing natural gas production. This means more jobs in districts 
like mine in Pennsylvania and across rural America. It means more jobs 
in the pipeline industry, as companies invest in infrastructure to get 
the resources from the gas fields to the processing facility. It means 
more jobs on the coasts, where LNG export facilities are being operated 
and new ones are being built.
  Important for all Americans, more production means more supply in the 
market, so natural gas prices have stayed lower and less volatile for 
American families. Finally, and ironically, given LNG's environmental 
detractors, it is better for the environment. American LNG is one of 
the cleanest baseload power fuel sources on the planet. President 
Biden's own Department of Energy trumpets the fact that U.S. LNG 
exports are 41 percent cleaner than competing Russian natural gas.
  In summary, if exporting LNG leads to lower prices, more family-
sustaining American jobs, and lower emissions, why would President 
Biden attempt to ban it? That is the question that we are struggling 
with tonight.
  This action reeks of shortsighted election year politics that will 
have harsh, long-term effects on America. Along with all of my 
colleagues this evening, I urge President Biden to reverse this 
decision.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. James).
  Mr. JAMES. Mr. Speaker, the Biden administration just announced a 
total pause on new export permits for liquid natural gas, all in the 
name of climate change.
  I am from Michigan, the Great Lakes State. We all love clean air and 
clean water. Michigan is the home of the automotive industry, and the 
longest coastline of any place in America with our Great Lakes, 
protecting both our table stakes. To those ends, LNG is one of the 
cleanest energy fuels on the Earth, mined with American labor according 
to the strictest environmental and safety standards in the world.
  However, this administration has decided to play politics with not 
just our energy security but also our national security. Let me be 
clear. This administration does not hate oil and gas; they hate 
American oil and gas.
  Since he has been sworn in, Biden has waged war on American industry. 
He has crippled the very industry that our prosperity and security rely 
on and the very reason the U.S. dollar is the currency of global trade, 
yet he has made us dependent on our adversaries, including Russia, 
China, and Iran.
  If we had just done what President Trump asked of our allies in 
shutting down Nord Stream 2, Putin would not have been able to fund his 
war against Ukraine in the first place, but I digress.
  Mr. Speaker, this war on LNG is going to impact my State 
specifically. Michigan has the most underground natural gas storage in 
the entire country, with 1.1 trillion cubic feet of underground 
storage. That is one-eighth of the Nation's natural gas storage 
capacity.
  Mr. Speaker, the Biden administration's energy policies are insane. 
We cannot allow this administration to continue relying on dictators 
and despots from Tehran to Caracas to keep our supply chain moving and 
our homes heated. That would be like asking the fox to lock up the 
chicken coop at night or Secretary Mayorkas to watch the border.
  By pursuing energy independence using safe, American-made energy, we 
lower prices, grow jobs, and reshore domestic manufacturing.

                              {time}  1945

  That is why I voted in favor of H.R. 1 alongside 225 of my Republican 
and Democratic colleagues. H.R. 1 would unleash American oil and 
natural gas while securing our critical supply chains. It would ensure 
that America is energy independent, prepared for threats down the road.
  This makes certain that America has the resources necessary to defend 
and protect herself while also assuring that blue-collar families in my 
district can afford to keep their lights on and their gas tanks full 
without breaking the bank.
  Mr. Speaker, I will continue to champion energy that is made in 
America and hold Biden accountable for the foolish games he is playing 
with our future.
  Mr. Speaker, Governor Granholm's policies crushed the State of 
Michigan. I will not stand idly by while Energy Secretary Granholm's 
policies crush the United States of America.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Michigan for his remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves).
  Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank Dr. Joyce for 
organizing this Special Order tonight.
  I thank the Biden administration, actually. I thank the Biden 
administration because they came out a week from Friday and admitted 
what we knew all along. They paused American energy.
  Mr. Speaker, it is consistent with what we have seen out of this 
administration for the last few years. They go out there and say, yes, 
Russia should be able to build the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to facilitate 
Russian energy, but the Keystone pipeline in the United States can't be 
built. It is pro-Russia; it is anti-U.S.
  It is not just that, Mr. Speaker. Let's look at what is happening. 
Since Putin has invaded Ukraine, the European Union is still dependent 
upon Russian natural gas today. Mr. Speaker, 14 percent of the natural 
gas being supplied to the European Union is coming from Russia. Let me 
say it another way: It is a billion dollars a month. Of course, it was 
twice or three times that before the invasion.

[[Page H415]]

  What is happening is this billion dollars a month today is actually 
funding the Russian war against Ukraine. At the same time, this 
administration is out there banging on Congress to give them $60 
billion in aid for Ukraine.
  I have an idea: Stop funding the Russian war. How do you do that? Dr. 
Joyce said this a little while ago. You can look at the National Energy 
Technology Lab analysis looking at U.S. natural gas. Compared to 
Russian gas, Russian gas has 41 percent higher emissions.
  Mr. Speaker, let me say it another way: If we had taken 1 year of 
Russian gas that was supplied to the European Union and supplanted it, 
replaced it with U.S. gas, it would have reduced emissions to the tune 
of 218 million tons of emissions.
  Do you know what? It would have been for free. We could have just 
supplanted U.S. gas with Russian gas. We could have kneecapped Vladimir 
Putin and those billions of dollars he received. We could have helped 
the economy in the United States. We could have strengthened our 
economic ties with our allies.
  This doesn't make any sense, Mr. Speaker, but this is what we are 
seeing out of this administration over and over again. Their policies 
are resulting in Iran profiting $60 billion--$60 billion to Iran as a 
result of this administration's flawed energy policies.
  We lost three servicemembers and had 30-plus more injured because we 
are funding Iran that is funding the Houthis that is funding Hezbollah 
that is funding Hamas that is funding the Islamic Jihad and other 
terrorist organizations.
  This is unbelievable. Higher costs for American families, higher 
emissions, and lower energy security--this makes no sense. It lacks 
common sense, and it is simply not in America's interests.
  I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for hosting this tonight. 
Most importantly, Mr. Speaker, we have to bring common sense back to 
American energy policy.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Louisiana for his passionate presentation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser).
  Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, Dr. Joyce of 
Pennsylvania, for his leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my very serious concerns over 
the Biden administration's misguided, out-of-touch decision to pause 
pending approvals of liquefied natural gas exports, the latest assault 
by this President on American energy.
  I represent the Ninth District of Pennsylvania, which encompasses a 
large portion of the Marcellus Shale natural gas region, one of the 
largest reserves of natural gas in the world. Not only does the natural 
gas industry support over 125,000 jobs in Pennsylvania, Mr. Speaker, 
but it also contributes $25-plus billion to the Commonwealth's GDP, 
meaning Biden's continued assault on American energy, including on the 
natural gas industry, is truly an assault on Pennsylvania's workforce 
and economy.
  The President's gas-backward energy policies directly impact 
companies in my district like Coterra, Seneca Resources, Chesapeake, 
Southwestern, and the many thousands of people they employ, including 
their families.
  Yet, Joe Biden doesn't seem to care. Since taking office, he has 
issued a moratorium on natural gas leasing activities on various of the 
United States' resources, increased regulatory building codes that 
disincentivize the use of natural gas, issued an ESG rule hindering 
investments in natural gas companies, and implemented a new $8 billion 
tax on companies that produce, process, transmit, or store natural gas. 
He significantly raised requirements for assessing proposed natural gas 
pipelines.
  The list goes on. He has proposed overly stringent natural gas 
infrastructure project reviews and proposed a rule to severely restrict 
power generation at new and existing gas-fired power plants. Outside of 
that, he is wonderful.

  Now, on January 26, the Biden administration announced its most 
harmful and inexplicable energy decision yet--to pause all approvals on 
LNG exports, which threatens our economy, our national security, and 
our ability to reduce carbon emissions.
  On an economic front, the benefits of natural gas for America cannot 
be overstated. The U.S. natural gas industry is a powerhouse, 
supporting over 10 million American jobs and contributing $1.8 trillion 
in U.S. GDP.
  By fostering a robust natural gas industry, we stimulate investment, 
drastically enhancing domestic American-made goods and manufacturing 
and, of course, creating well-paying jobs across various industry 
sectors.
  The Biden administration's decision will hinder all of this. This 
heavyhanded, Big Government approach is going to cause a great 
disruption to long-term LNG infrastructure initiatives.
  At a time when we should be growing the industry, increasing 
production, and boosting exports, the Biden administration instead 
wants to limit our ability to be a world leader on the natural gas 
stage.
  Beyond the economic implications, resuming the consideration of LNG 
export applications is crucial to our national security and strategic 
interests. Our allies depend on a secure, reliable source of LNG. By 
withholding these approvals, we risk pushing them into the arms of less 
stable, potentially adversarial suppliers like Russia, as my colleagues 
have been bringing up.
  LNG export projects are indispensable for ensuring that we continue 
to function as the economic arsenal of democracy during geopolitical 
incidents, such as the war on Ukraine. Simply put, energy security is 
national security.
  Mr. Speaker, while this administration claims to want to reduce 
carbon emissions, their actions related to natural gas are doing the 
exact opposite.
  Clean natural gas emits almost 50 to 60 percent less carbon emissions 
than other fossil fuels. Let me tell you, the way we extract and 
process natural gas here in the United States of America is far cleaner 
than it is in Russia, Iran, China, or Venezuela. Does anybody doubt 
that? Of course not.
  Joe Biden's crusade against the natural gas industry is not only 
detrimental to consumers and producers, but it is detrimental to 
America's ability to regain the energy dominance we secured under 
President Trump.
  We must embrace an all-of-the-above and all-of-the-below energy 
solution. The only people who benefit from Joe Biden's anti-American 
policies are our adversaries overseas.
  Joe Biden, Mr. Speaker, is choosing Moscow over communities in my 
district like Montrose, Pennsylvania. He is choosing Tehran over 
Towanda. He is choosing Venezuela over Pennsylvania and Saudi Arabia 
over Sayre, Pennsylvania. This makes absolutely no sense.
  The global uncertainty caused by Biden's pausing of LNG export 
hinders our ability to bring American natural gas to the world markets 
and limits our strategic advantages that the United States can provide 
to our allies.
  We must support our economy. We need to be looking out in a serious 
way for our national security. We want to support Pennsylvania's 
workforce. I urge the Biden administration to reverse its pause.
  Mr. Speaker, lastly, the administration needs to check their extreme 
ideology at the door and focus on outcomes, not ideology. We need to 
wake up and woke down.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania for his comments.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg), my 
colleague on the Energy and Commerce Committee.
  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for 
taking this opportunity tonight to remind us that on January 26, 
inexplicably, President Biden announced an indefinite ban on pending 
LNG export projects.
  I wish it were indefinite, but I believe this is just another shot 
over the bow, showing that fossil fuels are going away--in his mind. 
Even for a President known for inflation and global instability, this 
is an inexplicable move.
  Last week, during the international events surrounding the National 
Prayer Breakfast here, I even had comments from Baltic representatives, 
Balkan representatives, and others from the EU incredulous that that 
was going on when they need more LNG terminals, not less, more exports, 
not less.

[[Page H416]]

  American LNG has been a lifeline to our allies while wars rage. This 
decision is beyond the wildest hopes and dreams of Putin and the 
Ayatollah, who have capitalized on this opportunity to further finance 
their terror on this Earth.

  I have yet to hear from any American clamoring to drive our allies to 
Russia and Iran, which is exactly what Biden's LNG export ban will do.
  Maybe the White House needs a simple lesson: Cutting the supply of a 
product does not magically erase the demand or need for that product. 
However, cutting the supply does raise prices and forces consumers to 
look elsewhere. In this case, the consumers are our allies. They will 
look to Russia and Iran.
  Ironically, these countries' energy production is far dirtier than 
our clean LNG. Due to this, from a climate and emission standpoint, 
Biden's decision will actually lead to more pollution.
  American LNG has over 40 percent lower life cycle emissions compared 
to Russia and its compressed natural gas, which will help fill the void 
created by the Biden administration. American LNG has been one of the 
greatest tools used to reduce emissions. Instead of indefinitely 
banning LNG exports, we should be increasing them and touting our LNG 
success story, which has led to a decrease in energy-related emissions 
by 15 percent since 2005, beyond any of our closest allies.
  The Biden war on domestic energy accomplishes a rare trifecta. It 
empowers our adversaries, raises energy prices, and increases 
pollution. Wow.
  President Biden is once again putting politics over the American 
people and disregarding any semblance of common sense.
  Mr. Speaker, this policy from the executive branch is unreasonable 
and indefensible, but I assure you this body will not allow the Biden 
administration to sacrifice energy security for America and our allies. 
This moratorium puts climate activists at TikTok above the energy needs 
of the world. We must do everything we can to reverse it.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Michigan for his remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, our Nation has been blessed with abundant natural gas 
reserves, and thanks to the shale revolution, the resources under the 
feet of my constituents have been unlocked. The boom in natural gas 
production has brought jobs and hope back to small towns throughout 
Pennsylvania.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Ohio 
(Mr. Balderson).

                              {time}  2000

  Mr. BALDERSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, Congressman Joyce 
for leading the Special Order this evening.
  Mr. Speaker, over the last 3 years, we have seen the Biden 
administration oppose American energy production at every turn. Biden's 
most recent announcement not only undermines our energy sector, but 
also endangers our allies overseas.
  Since Putin began his invasion of Ukraine, our European allies have 
raced to transition away from Russian energy by importing clean 
American LNG.
  The administration's shortsighted, dangerous decision accomplishes 
one thing and one thing only: empowering Russia.
  Claiming that this decision is based solely on protecting the 
environment is just absurd. Because of natural gas, the United States 
has reduced its own emissions more than any country in the world over 
the last 20 years.
  The President's ban on new LNG export projects is not an 
environmental decision, it is a political decision.
  Rather than holding countries like China and Russia accountable, 
President Biden would rather appease climate activists who are 
determined to ban fossil fuels at all costs.
  This latest announcement hurts producers here in America, in Ohio, 
the thousands of men and women working to keep our lights on every day, 
and throttles investment in clean American energy.
  Simply put, by freezing LNG export permits, the President is putting 
election year politics ahead of the interests of American workers, 
consumers, and allies abroad.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from 
Ohio.
  Mr. Speaker, the graph beside me tells an incredible story. It talks 
about the volatility that occurs in natural gas prices. We see the 
spikes, but those spikes have diminished because of the shale 
revolution.
  The access to natural gas has actually leveled off the price. This 
allows families to sit at their kitchen table and make budget plans 
because they know that next month they are not going to pay double or 
triple the cost of natural gas.
  The shale revolution, the ability to utilize the resources that are 
under the feet of so many Americans, has allowed American financial 
stability to occur for American families.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly).
  Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to talk about the 
Biden administration's shortsighted policy, and I thank Dr. Joyce for 
bringing it up.
  Mr. Speaker, this is another one of those examples of promises made, 
promises kept.
  When this person was running for President, he couldn't stop telling 
people how we were no longer going to rely on our own energy. We were 
going to do something completely different. We were going to protect 
the environment.
  He has actually kept those promises.
  He has crippled the American economy. He has made the rest of the 
world dependent on people who they should not be depending on, and the 
rest of the world has awakened to just how far to the left this current 
administration is.
  We are talking about jobs, an unbelievable amount of jobs. We are 
also talking about not being dependent on any foreign country to supply 
us with the energy that we need.
  How in the world could anybody sit back now after 3 years of watching 
this wrong-sided approach to how we would run the greatest Nation the 
world has ever known and reduce it down to what it is today?
  We are talking about jobs. We are talking about the cost of energy. 
We are talking about reliability, not on some foreign supplier, but on 
our own domestic energy, people.
  Why would anybody under this current administration think that 
somehow my future is drilling for natural gas; my future is looking at 
oil fields; my future is based on the ill-fated thinking of this 
current administration?
  This goes so far beyond what any normal thinking person would say: 
Good idea, good idea. Let's continue to do that.
  I know some people will say: Well, you shouldn't be speaking that 
way.
  My answer to that is: Maybe more of us should be speaking this way.
  How can our fellow American citizens sit back and watch the 
devastation to our own economy; walking away from domestic energy and 
thinking that somehow this is a move in the right direction?
  Candidate Biden said he would cut back on all these environmental 
absolute disasters that were taking place in America. He has kept his 
promise to the American people. He continues to make his promise kept 
to the American people.
  The question is: When will the American people wake up from this 
slumber? When they will forget about being woke and wake up to what is 
happening to America today and happening to us every single day?
  For the President of the United States to make a statement like he is 
making today about domestic energy, and what LNG will no longer be 
permitted: You won't be allowed to do it in the future. We are going to 
cut back on your permits--why in the world would anybody stay in this 
business and say: I think I have a shot.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time for America to stand up, not just our 
colleagues on the Republican side but everyday Americans.
  We are talking about jobs. We are talking about American energy. We 
are talking about clean energy. We are talking about the future of the 
greatest Nation the world has ever known, and the fact that she does 
not have to depend on anybody else in the world for her energy, nor do 
other countries have to depend on Russia for their energy when they can 
actually get it from their friends in America.

[[Page H417]]

  Promises made, promises kept. This is another one of those promises 
that leads to the complete disaster and destruction of America.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his 
passionate presentation.
  Mr. Speaker, as we discuss this issue, it is important to recognize 
that liquefied natural gas actually has a positive impact on emissions 
rather than a negative one. Because of the clean power that natural gas 
provides, the United States continues to lead the world in carbon 
emission reductions.
  In the last 20 years, natural gas has led to a 32 percent reduction 
in carbon emissions right here in the United States. As I said before, 
President Biden's own Department of Energy trumpets the fact that U.S. 
liquefied natural gas exports are 41 percent cleaner than Russian 
natural gas.
  Our continued innovation, our continued development has helped lead 
to new technologies that have made our energy sources cleaner and more 
affordable.
  As we look around the world, no other Nation has matched our work in 
this area. If the Biden administration is truly serious about reducing 
carbon emissions, then a ban on LNG exports is truly a massive mistake.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence).
  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this administration's 
latest attack on the American energy industry, and I thank my very good 
friend, Congressman Joyce, for holding this Special Order.
  President Biden's LNG export ban is nothing more than a political 
stunt simply to appease the far-left activists. It has become 
abundantly clear that President Biden and his administration lack a 
competent understanding of global energy markets. This export ban will 
fuel higher costs for families here at home and push our allies abroad 
into the hands of our adversaries.
  Hoosiers watching at home won't be fooled by false claims of 
environmental stewardship.
  American LNG is the cleanest form of natural gas available and has 
allowed the U.S. to lead the world in emission reductions.
  Since day one, the Biden administration has led our Nation into an 
energy crisis of their own making, and we have arrived:
  Energy costs are through the roof. Our electric grid is on the brink 
of failure, and all forms of reliable baseload power are retiring at an 
alarming rate, leaving us perilously afraid of the future.
  House Republicans are not alone in our concerns. Engineers, grid 
operators, refiners, and the rest of our energy industry are saying in 
unison: This will not work, and it is not working right now.
  It is past time this administration paid attention to the experts and 
not radical environmentalists.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Indiana.
  Mr. Speaker, I think there is a point that cannot be missed today: 
That we have Members of Congress from North, South, East, and West, 
from all corners of the U.S., questioning the Biden administration's 
reckless ban on the export of liquefied natural gas.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), 
my colleague and another member of the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, Dr. Joyce, for 
organizing this Special Order on the Biden administration's indefinite 
de facto ban on LNG exports.
  While this is a clear election year stunt by President Biden, the 
real policy impacts will be profound, unfortunately, putting the 
national security of the U.S. and our allies at risk, increasing global 
greenhouse emissions, and unduly jeopardizing American economic 
prosperity. What a shame.
  Perhaps the greatest winner of the LNG permitting pause is Russia and 
its maligned allies and coconspirators.
  Even before its invasion of Ukraine, Russia weaponized its natural 
gas exports to extract concessions that undermine the rules-based 
international order.
  In response, the United States provided our allies and the world a 
much-needed check against those threats to democracy, to reliable and 
accessible energy, but no more.
  President Biden is abandoning our allies, and choosing to enrich 
despotic regimes, such as Russia and Iran. This decision will also 
decrease available alternatives to less clean forms of energy.
  Many countries were relying on American LNG to help in their green 
transition. Instead, the Biden administration will leave countries like 
Germany, India, and Japan all needing to reopen previously shuttered, 
high-emission power plants.
  China, a major LNG importer, is already building new high-emission 
power plants, and President Biden's decision will only encourage that 
trend, unfortunately.
  Finally, this decision will cost Floridians jobs. Florida is a 
growing LNG exporter, and the President's pause will see significant 
economic benefit and opportunity evaporate due to a political stunt. No 
common sense.
  Mr. Speaker, America and its allies deserve better.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his 
remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Pennsylvania has 26 
minutes remaining.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember 
that every shipment of LNG that does not come from the United States 
has to come from somewhere else. Often that means that gas is being 
sold by our adversaries, including Russia and Iran.
  At a time when Iranian-backed terrorists are killing American troops, 
the Biden administration is voluntarily opening up avenues for the 
Iranian Government to profit on the sale of liquefied natural gas.
  Sadly, this is business as usual for an administration that fails 
time and time again to understand how its decisions can impact our 
national security.

  We saw this when President Biden telegraphed his plan to withdraw 
from Afghanistan ahead of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, 
emboldening the Taliban.
  We saw this last week when the President failed to respond quickly to 
strikes carried out by Iranian-backed terrorists. We are seeing 
President Biden's failed foreign policy on display once again with this 
decision to withhold American liquefied natural gas from our friends 
and from our allies who need it.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cammack).
  Mrs. CAMMACK. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, Dr. 
Joyce, for hosting this Special Order on such an important topic.
  Simply put, President Biden's liquefied natural gas export ban puts 
politics over people and America last.
  The Biden administration states that they must put a pause on the LNG 
permits to conduct more studies to better understand the effects of 
U.S. LNG exports.
  Let's be honest, how many more studies do we realistically need?
  The Department of Energy has already commissioned five studies on 
this very subject. Let us not forget that previous administrations did 
these studies without blocking export permits.
  Really, what this administration is doing is creating additional 
uncertainty in an industry that is already under constant assault by 
the Biden administration. This pause will have and is starting to have 
a chilling effect on investment and discouraging foreign governments 
from signing long-term contracts.
  Furthermore, this will undermine America's position as a global 
energy leader and exporter of LNG.
  Stopping U.S. LNG exports will stifle economic growth by limiting 
revenue streams and job opportunities associated with LNG production, 
liquefaction and export infrastructure.
  For those unfamiliar, the LNG industry is not one you can turn on and 
off like a light switch. It requires constant investment and 
development. You can't stop on a whim. There are billions of dollars at 
stake, jobs at risk, and allies' trust that is now compromised, allies 
who are looking for the United States to be a reliable partner to fuel 
their economies.
  Instead, the White House seems more interested in taking domestic 
energy

[[Page H418]]

advice from TikTok influencers who are just in it for clicks, shares, 
and impressions.

                              {time}  2015

  Indeed, the Biden administration agreed to meet with TikTok 
influencers at the White House after a trend slamming and targeting the 
LNG industry went viral. President Biden said in the aftermath: ``This 
pause on new LNG approvals sees the climate crisis for what it is: the 
existential threat of our time. . . . We will heed the calls of young 
people and frontline communities who are using their voices to demand 
action from those with the power to act.''
  The consequences to the economy or our national security be damned, 
because, clearly, this is about getting votes, and, in particular, the 
youth vote, of which President Biden has suffered tremendous losses.
  This is not about saving the planet, clearly, because denying the 
development of domestic LNG is not scientifically sound. Stopping LNG 
exports does not make the climate any cleaner or safer. In fact, the 
opposite happens. Ultimately, this restriction will curtail innovation, 
investment, and the overall competitiveness of the United States energy 
sector in the global market and in the process keep our allies 
dependent and reliant on dirty fuel from energy-producing nations that, 
let's face it, just don't give a damn about the environment.
  We need to follow the science. How about we look to the data and not 
to social media influencers. Let's work to keep this industry strong. 
In return, we get a strong economy, robust national security, and job 
opportunities for Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, the Biden administration must reverse their decision and 
lift the ban on LNG export permits.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from 
Florida for her words.
  Mr. Speaker, from my home State of Pennsylvania to the Gulf Coast, 
natural gas creates family-sustaining jobs that are vital for our 
communities. From 2005 to 2019, more than 1.4 million manufacturing 
jobs were created in the natural gas industry.
  When President Biden stops the flow of LNG, he is sending a message 
to American families that are supported by these jobs. Biden is sending 
a message that his political welfare is more important than American 
families' livelihoods. Biden is sending a message that keeping his far-
left base happy is more important than American families' financial 
stability. It is shameful. It is shameful for the President to pretend 
to care about the American workers and then make decisions that 
directly harm them.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Kean).
  Mr. KEAN of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding time, and I thank him for leading us here together in this 
Special Order.
  Mr. Speaker, President Biden's decision to indefinitely pause LNG 
export approval permits is misguided and wrong. It prioritizes radical 
activists over American energy security and the security of our allies 
abroad. This pause is economically and strategically dangerous and 
unnecessary.
  The Department of Energy has consistently found that American LNG 
exports serve the public interest by providing positive economic 
benefits and strengthens our energy security.
  Mr. Speaker, our European allies are seeking American energy 
leadership to counter Putin's weaponization of Russian natural gas 
exports. In December 2023 alone, over 87 percent of U.S. LNG exports 
went to the EU, U.K., or Asian markets.
  Any action that slows or halts the U.S. ability to export LNG would 
weaken global energy security. In Congress, and within this 
administration, we should be doing everything in our power to 
incentivize reliable natural gas and to grant the export permits that 
allow access to markets around the world. Policies that encourage LNG 
exports create good-paying jobs here in America and strengthen our 
allies abroad.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the Biden administration to end this pause.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
New Jersey for his comments.
  Mr. Speaker, one of the reasons that our allies rely so heavily on 
American-made liquefied natural gas is because of its reliability.
  In recent years, we have seen billions of tax dollars used to prop up 
failing energy producers like wind turbines and solar farms. While wind 
and solar should certainly be available, the fact is they are unable to 
sustain major electric grids. Without battery technology to store the 
energy collected by renewable energy sources, the United States and our 
friends and our allies will continue to rely on natural gas.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen).
  Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Joyce for hosting tonight's 
Special Order.
  Mr. Speaker, just 2 weeks ago, in yet another example of President 
Biden caving to leftwing activists, this administration announced that 
they would pause all pending approvals of liquefied natural gas, or 
LNG, export terminals.
  Under the guise of climate change, this blatantly political decision 
will only serve to eliminate American jobs, increase costs for American 
consumers, and further jeopardize U.S. energy security, all to appease 
climate extremists and prop up President Biden's rush-to-green agenda.
  Let me remind the American people that just 3 years ago, our Nation 
was energy independent for the first time in our history. We controlled 
the price of a barrel of oil. We dominated the world energy economy.
  Studies show that LNG exports could increase the U.S. economy by over 
$73 billion by 2040 and could create more than 453,000 American jobs.
  Mr. Speaker, the President should please listen.
  It is no surprise that this reckless announcement was met with 
bipartisan backlash when a recent study showed that only 3 percent of 
Americans believe climate change is the most pressing issue facing our 
country.
  I hear constantly from my constituents how high energy prices are. 
Indefinitely banning exports of LNG will not lower the cost of energy. 
We need to open our markets and domestic energy production to lower 
costs for the American people.

  Now, more than ever, we need to embrace an all-of-the-above energy 
strategy and unleash the production and export of clean, affordable, 
and reliable American LNG to further reduce emissions.
  Finally, President Biden's war on American energy is undermining our 
national security. As Chair Rodgers said, this is nothing more than a 
gift to Putin.
  Mr. Speaker, if this administration wants to end the war in Ukraine 
and bring peace to the Middle East, then give us the permits for the 
pipelines and the LNG facilities, and we will power Europe. This will 
cripple Russia and Iran. In fact, Europe, like the U.S., would be 
burning their energy 42 percent cleaner.
  I thought we wanted to reduce the carbon footprint and at the same 
time promote world peace. I proudly stand with my colleagues in calling 
out this political charade.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his 
words.
  Mr. Speaker, from New Jersey to Florida, from Pennsylvania to 
California, liquefied natural gas, its production and export, has a 
positive effect on so many Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Fulcher).
  Mr. FULCHER. Mr. Speaker, President Biden is constantly putting his 
Green New Deal ideology ahead of the American people when it comes to 
the U.S. energy sector. From canceling the Keystone pipeline to ending 
Federal drilling projects, the President has weakened our domestic 
energy production since his first day in office, leading to sky-high 
oil prices across the country and a loss of nearly 11,000 American 
jobs.
  Now, the administration is performing the same song and dance in the 
name of climate change by halting exports of liquefied natural gas 
abroad. It is lunacy.
  I am proud to join 150 of my Republican colleagues, led by Chair 
Cathy McMorris Rodgers, in a letter to the President expressing our 
concerns and our opposition to this decision.
  LNG is a clean energy source. By cutting off American exports, we are 
forcing our allies into the arms of nations

[[Page H419]]

often hostile to America. By the way, they often have zero 
environmental regulations.
  Over the last 2 years, the EU has been forced to import 40 percent 
more LNG from Russia, directly funding Russian aggression in Ukraine 
with roughly $21 billion in 2022 alone.
  If kept intact, our LNG industry is projected to bring up to 452,000 
additional jobs to hardworking Americans by 2040, adding some $50 
billion to $73 billion to our economy. Plus, we gain the economic 
leverage as an economic exporter of energy to other nations.
  Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor of H. Res. 987, Denouncing the harmful, 
anti-American energy policies of the Biden administration, I urge my 
colleagues to put an end to Biden's war on the U.S. energy sector. It 
is time to prioritize the well-being of Americans over the flawed 
ideologies of the Green New Deal.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Idaho, a fellow member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for his 
insight and comments.
  Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Pennsylvania has 11 
minutes remaining.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, as we have stated, the impact 
of stopping the export of liquefied natural gas affects all Americans.
  We have had individuals from all over, Representatives, who know the 
impact financially to their constituents. They know the impact on jobs 
to each one of the Americans who are in the natural gas industry. We 
understand, and this is not lost on us.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa).
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Mr. Joyce leading this Special 
Order here tonight. It is very important that we shed the positive 
spotlight on energy production that natural gas is and also shine the 
spotlight on what a horrific decision it is by Mr. Biden and his 
administration to shut down export, as well as the ongoing efforts to 
shut down capacity, exploration, and production of natural gas in this 
country.
  Through the miracle of hydraulic fracturing, not that many years ago, 
it put the U.S. on the map internationally as a gigantic energy source 
in the world.
  I remember about 20-plus years ago, we were looking at how we could 
find a way to import more liquefied natural gas, set up our ports for 
that so the big ships can come in from somewhere else and bring us this 
energy source. Hydraulic fracturing has made it possible that we are a 
gigantic source of energy around the world, and indeed other countries 
are looking to us and would look to us more if we were giving more of a 
positive signal.
  This is the chart showing usage from about 2010 up to current. If you 
look at that on a global scale, energy usage on a global scale is going 
to increase massively as more and more countries come on board and 
become less Third World and more of a modern economy.
  Oil and gas is going to be extremely important, so the U.S. should be 
leading the way. We should be stronger partners for our European 
allies. We have seen the debacle that the Russian pipeline is going to 
be and has been for Germany, in one case, and the reliance on Russian 
gas.

                              {time}  2030

  Don't they look back at how these alliances haven't been strong 
enough to rely on a neighbor like that for so much of your energy?
  In Germany just 1\1/2\ years ago people were going out to the woods 
and cutting firewood to make sure they were going to get through the 
cold season. This was on top of their destroying so much of their 
nuclear generation.
  So the Biden administration's approach to natural gas is very 
wrongheaded. So as you see, Mr. Speaker, increased demand in just a 
short amount of time of low-cost domestic energy has been, indeed, 
miraculous.
  My next chart will show that the cost of natural gas, although 
peaking some years ago in the early 2000s, was getting quite expensive. 
This is right where hydraulic fracturing came in and made it a very, 
very low-cost and very clean form of energy. It was helping get us to 
energy independence until the Biden administration decided to come 
along and say: No, we are not going to do it here. We want Germany and 
Europe to rely on Russian gas, and we are going to be somehow more 
green than everybody else here.
  So it is very dangerous for us. It is dangerous to our allies. As we 
have seen, it empowers those in Russia and in Iran to do the types of 
things that they are doing around the world to upset peace. Indeed, 
Iran is a major sponsor of terror helping out Yemen.
  As I mentioned earlier, so many of the weapons that you will find, 
Mr. Speaker, missiles that maybe didn't completely fire or explode, 
what have you, you will find that Yemen has been using them and they 
have Iraqi signatures on them. So every time the rest of the world 
patronizes Iranian gas or Russian gas, it just helps them to undermine 
Western countries and those who are trying to be good neighbors.
  So the more we go the wrong direction on this and follow the Biden 
model, the bigger trouble we will be in. Indeed, natural gas has been a 
miracle in how important it has been to our economy up until recently 
with the Biden crew.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
California for his remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank all of the Members who have joined us this 
evening to hold this Special Order to address President Biden's policy 
failure on liquefied natural gas. Since his first day in office, 
President Biden has worked to dismantle our Nation's energy production, 
revoking permits, stonewalling new development, and using red tape to 
harass our energy producers.
  The decision to halt the permitting of LNG exportation facilities is 
the next step in an agenda that puts Green New Deal policies ahead of 
American families.
  The Biden administration has continually passed the buck for high 
prices by blaming domestic energy producers. Biden's regulatory 
assaults destroy any incentive for domestic energy producers to invest 
in building our natural gas infrastructure.
  Now, most recently, President Biden announced that his administration 
would no longer hold court-ordered offshore oil and gas lease sales in 
the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska.
  Liquefied natural gas is safe, affordable, and easy to transport. 
That is why this week 150 of my colleagues and I were led by E&C Chair 
Rodgers and Speaker of the House   Mike Johnson to demand that 
President Biden overturn this terrible decision. We know that this 
energy source, which is underneath the feet of my constituents, will 
help power our allies, it will help create American jobs, and it will 
help reduce emissions.
  Instead of embracing this technology, President Biden has caved to 
his far-left base who refuse to recognize the benefits that LNG has for 
America. A single shipment of LNG can power an entire city, and, yet, 
the Biden administration has refused to allow these shipments.
  Tonight, we have heard about the dangerous impacts that the cutting 
of LNG exports have from raising prices here at home to funding our 
adversaries by forcing European nations to rely on energy from Russia 
and from Iran.
  Let's be clear. President Biden is choosing to cut American jobs and 
fund our enemies. When it comes to our energy security, appeasing 
liberal activists can have long-lasting and very dangerous 
consequences. We all must continue to urge the Biden administration to 
reverse this disastrous decision and allow liquefied natural gas 
exports to continue and to power communities around the world.
  It is time to return to American energy dominance, and it is time to 
stop using our energy security as a pawn in political games.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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