Cassidy Slams Biden-Harris’s Hypocritical, Backward LNG Export Permitting Freeze on the Senate Floor

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) delivered a speech on the U.S. Senator floor on the Biden-Harris administration's hypocritical and backward liquefied natural gas (LNG) export permitting freeze. Last month, a ruling from the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana blocked the administration's freeze.

"The American people understand the importance of energy-it keeps the lights on and puts food on the table. But living in Louisiana, you know the guy at the LNG plant or on the oil rig who produced the energy. He's your neighbor," said Dr. Cassidy. "That's why when the Biden-Harris administration announced its pause on LNG export permits in January, it was clear who they would be putting out of a job."

"U.S. LNG is one of the cleanest burning fuels in the world in terms of life cycle emissions. In fact, natural gas is principally responsible for U.S. emissions being lower today than they were in 1988 despite a larger economy and population," continued Dr. Cassidy. "Just because we limit the supply of natural gas, the demand won't go away. That demand will instead turn to other sources of energy."

"The administration's thinly veiled plan to reduce global emissions backfired in reality and in court. The administration's war on American energy didn't just affect our allies. It waged a war on the American worker," concluded Dr. Cassidy.

Background

Immediately following the Biden administration's announcement that they would be freezing pending applications for LNG export permits, Cassidy led 25 of his Republican colleagues in condemning the decision. Our European allies, who have become increasingly reliant on the U.S. for LNG following Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, will now be forced to decide between depriving their citizens of energy or actively funding Putin.

He also introduced the LNG Security Act to reverse President Biden's decision to stop new American LNG export approvals and require the DOE to approve LNG exports to all countries that have imported, currently import, or are capable of importing Russian or Iranian natural gas. Additionally, he introduced the Unlocking Domestic LNG Potential Act, which depoliticizes the export of American liquefied natural gas. It eliminates the requirement for the DOE to authorize its export and instead gives the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) sole authority over the approval process.

In February, Cassidy penned an op-ed with U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) in the Houston Chronicle underscoring the devastating economic, environmental, and national security impacts of President Biden's decision to freeze new LNG export projects. In January, Cassidy questioned DOE Deputy Secretary David Turk on the rumors surrounding this decision and emphasized the energy, economic, environmental, and national security importance of U.S. LNG exports.

Cassidy's remarks as prepared for delivery are below:

Madam President,

The American people understand the importance of energy-it keeps the lights on and puts food on the table.

But living in Louisiana, you know the guy at the LNG plant or on the oil rig who produced the energy. He's your neighbor.

That's why when the Biden-Harris administration announced its pause on LNG export permits in January, it was clear who they would be putting out of a job.

And last month, the American people gained a major victory. A U.S. District Judge in Lake Charles ruled that the LNG pause was quote: "completely without reason or logic".

The court ruling reinstated sanity at a time in which the Biden-Harris administration adopted the most absurd arguments to please their radical environmental donors.

The fact of the matter is the Biden-Harris pause was a clear attempt to undermine U.S. LNG production by putting the kibosh on new exports and depriving allies of our freedom fuel.

Both President Biden and Vice President Harris have not been shy about their desire to kill American energy production.

Vice President Harris has called for a total ban on fracking-adopting the "leave it in the ground" mentality of the far-Left-even going so far as to threaten to blow up the filibuster to pass the Green New Deal.

That's the now President of the Senate would have us end the filibuster to kill American energy, help China, Russia, and Iran, and raise prices on working families.

I don't know whether we should be more concerned about the fact that they say, "leave it in the ground," despite knowing that renewable resources can't meet U.S. energy demand, or that they say it thinking it will actually work.

Curtailing U.S. natural gas production will not lower global emissions; unleashing American energy will.

U.S. LNG is one of the cleanest burning fuels in the world in terms of life cycle emissions. In fact, natural gas is principally responsible for U.S. emissions being lower today than they were in 1988 despite a larger economy and population.

Just because we limit the supply of natural gas, the demand won't go away. That demand will instead turn to other sources of energy.

We saw this in Europe after the invasion of Ukraine. European countries refused to buy Russian natural gas, which I applaud.

But with the Biden-Harris LNG pause, the world must turn to dirtier alternatives like oil and coal from dictators and despots in Russia and Iran. It was as if Putin designed the strategy himself.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that as coal use goes up, global emissions increase along with it. The administration's thinly veiled plan to reduce global emissions backfired in reality and in court.

The administration's war on American energy didn't just affect our allies. It waged a war on the American worker.

Two-thirds of U.S. LNG is exported from Louisiana, providing thousands of Louisianans with good-paying energy jobs.

The Biden-Harris freeze impacted 18 LNG export facilities, 12 of which were going to be built in Louisiana.

"To be built" is the key phrase here, because it didn't just affect energy jobs, it affected construction jobs as well. Because the Biden-Harris administration wanted to appease the rich climate lobby, the future and financial security of Louisiana families were thrown in limbo.

We aren't out of the woods yet.

The federal court's ruling brought common sense back, but the Department of Energy can still slow walk permits. This is something Congress will watch closely.

This is something Congress is already looking to address with bipartisan support for setting a time limit on how long DOE can take to review new permits-a shot clock, if you will.

When we unleash American energy production and LNG exports, it creates high-paying jobs, boosts our economy, and strengthens the U.S. and the national security of our allies.

It denies income to Putin and drives down global emissions.

None of those goals should be partisan.

Common sense prevailed in the courts. Now it's time for common sense to return to the White House.

###