[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 8884-8885]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                EXPORT OF AMERICAN LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS

  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, for years, we have witnessed Vladimir 
Putin, the President of Russia, wreak havoc across Europe. Putin has 
invaded and carved up free, independent, and democratic countries, such 
as Georgia and Ukraine. He has bullied our friends in the European 
Union. He has intimidated our allies in the North Atlantic Treaty 
Organization, NATO. A principal weapon of Putin's has been Russia's 
energy supplies--specifically, natural gas. Putin has used Russia's 
natural gas to extort, to threaten, and to coerce our allies and our 
partners. He has repeatedly shut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine 
and has retaliated against countries that have come to Ukraine's aid.
  So 21 countries--21 countries--import more than 40 percent of their 
natural gas from Russia. Of these 21 nations, 13 are members of NATO 
and 5 of these NATO members import nearly 100 percent of their gas from 
Russia.
  I recently returned from Eastern Europe. Our NATO allies and European 
partners are desperate to find alternative sources of natural gas. They 
are seeking to develop their own natural gas resources. But amazingly, 
Putin is funding activists who oppose hydraulic fracturing in Europe.
  It is clear that Putin wants to keep our NATO allies dependent on 
Russian energy. Our NATO allies have publicly called on Congress to 
help them access America's natural gas. We can do that by adopting my 
amendment, No. 1582. My amendment would help countries such as Ukraine, 
our NATO allies, and others access America's vast supplies of natural 
gas. Specifically, it would ensure that the Secretary of Energy makes 
timely decisions on applications

[[Page 8885]]

to export Liquefied Natural Gas, or LNG.
  Under current law, exports of LNG to countries such as our NATO 
allies are presumed to be in the public interest, unless the Secretary 
finds otherwise. But over the last several years, the Secretary's 
decisionmaking process has been, at best, unpredictable. My amendment 
would fix that. Specifically, my amendment would require the Secretary 
to approve or disapprove LNG export applications within 45 days after 
the environmental review process is complete.
  My amendment would ensure that legal challenges to LNG export 
projects are resolved expeditiously. It would also require exporters to 
publicly disclose the countries to which LNG has been delivered.
  In January of this year, the energy committee held a hearing on 
legislation that is identical to my amendment. At that hearing, the 
Department of Energy testified that my legislation is ``a solution we 
will be able to comply with.''
  I am encouraged by DOD's support for this legislation. I am also 
encouraged by the support of the National Association of Manufacturers 
and others who testified that LNG exports would create thousands of 
jobs across America and help reduce our Nation's trade deficit.
  The United States is the world's largest producer of natural gas. We 
have more than enough natural gas to meet our own needs and use our gas 
to bring about positive change throughout the world.
  Do not take my word for it. Listen to what the Obama administration 
had to say. In February of this year, President Obama's Council of 
Economic Advisers stated that ``an increase in U.S. exports of natural 
gas . . . would have a number of mostly beneficial effects on . . . 
employment, U.S. geopolitical security, and the environment.''
  The President's economic advisers said that LNG exports would create 
tens of thousands of jobs in the United States, jobs that ``would arise 
. . . in natural gas production[,] manufacturing [and] a range of 
sectors, including . . . infrastructure investment, and 
transportation.''
  The President's economic advisers also stated that U.S. LNG exports 
would have ``a positive geopolitical impact for the United States.'' 
Specifically, they explained that U.S. LNG ``builds liquidity in the 
global natural gas market, and reduces European dependence on the 
current primary suppliers, Russia and Iran.''
  Again, these are not my words. This is from the White House.
  Mr. President, Congress has a choice: We can watch Putin use natural 
gas as a weapon against our allies and partners or we can take a 
meaningful step to help our friends.
  My amendment boosts the security of our NATO allies and friends 
around the world, and it does so through a peaceful means. It doesn't 
spend American tax dollars and all the while will help to grow 
America's economy. It is a commonsense amendment, and I ask all of the 
Members to support it.
  I thank the Presiding Officer.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________