To the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives:
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports H.R. 7176, which would repeal unnecessary restrictions imposed by the Biden Administration on the export and import of natural gas.
Allies and trading partners around the world rely on clean, reliable, and affordable U.S. natural gas for energy and economic security, and to advance environmental progress through emission reductions. The decision to impose an indefinite ban on Department of Energy review and issuance of liquified natural gas (LNG) export licenses to non-free trade agreement countries has, therefore, caused great concern both at home and abroad.
In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ongoing weaponization of natural gas for geopolitical influence, U.S. LNG is playing a critical role in providing energy security for allies in both Europe and Asia. With Europe still relying on Russia for nearly 15 percent of its natural gas consumption, and global demand expected to increase for several decades, continued expansion of U.S. export capacity is essential to American interests. H.R. 7176 would enable this expansion while still allowing for appropriate federal reviews of potential new export facilities through the longstanding Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) process.
We urge you to vote for this legislation.
Sincerely,
Martin Durbin
Senior Vice President, Policy
President, Global Energy Institute
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
