Lng Ban Hurts Americans

Floor Speech

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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.

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