The House passed a bill Thursday that would effectively lift the Biden administration’s pause on new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals.
The lower chamber of the legislature passed the “Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act,” introduced by Republican Rep. August Pfluger of Texas, by a 224-200 bipartisan vote, with nine House Democrats crossing the aisle to join Republicans in voting in favor of the bill. The bill would remove the Department of Energy (DOE) from the process of approving LNG export terminals and give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) exclusive discretion over whether or not to green light LNG export hubs, according to its text.
The White House handed a major victory to the environmentalist left when it announced on Jan. 26 that the administration would pause approvals for next export facilities while the DOE conducts a wider review to gauge the climate impacts of the facilities alongside other factors, like economic benefits and national security considerations. While activists took a victory lap after the announcement, elected Republicans and industry groups slammed the policy, and energy sector experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the decision will empower foreign gas producers while failing to reduce global emissions. (RELATED: ‘Threatens National Security’: Even Some Democrats Are Balking At Biden’s Latest Energy Decision)
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“President Biden was pretty clear when, as a candidate, he said, ‘I guarantee you. We’re going to end fossil fuel.’ He has used every weapon and every tool available to make it more difficult on this industry,” Pfluger told the DCNF. “This export ban is just the latest strike in his efforts to appease his radical climate interest groups who refuse to accept the reality that American energy is the cleanest, most secure option for the U.S. and our allies. If you care about energy, about the security of the country, and about what the energy industry has done to lower prices for American households and strengthen our allies and partners, then this is an easy vote.”
The White House criticized Pfluger’s bill on Tuesday in an official statement, but it stopped short of pledging to veto the bill should it make it to President Joe Biden’s desk. The bill will now head to the Senate, where it may or may not receive a vote.
Notably, the White House consulted with climate activists — including a 25-year old TikTok influencer and members of the disruptive group known as Climate Defiance — ahead of announcing the pause.
The White House did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
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