House Democrats Oppose Biden Administration LNG Ban

As Connecting the Dots reported at the time, on January 26, 2024 the White House announced that the Biden administration had temporarily suspended exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to countries with which the United States does not have free trade agreements. The suspension included an exception in the case of “unanticipated and immediate national security emergencies.” President Joe Biden said the purpose of the pause was to “take a hard look at the impacts of LNG exports on energy costs, America’s energy security, and our environment.”

There is new evidence that Democratic congressional support for the LNG pause is diminishing. Indeed, 12 lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives wrote a letter on Sept. 13 that asked the Biden administration to accelerate the review process for LNG projects that would serve Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

“We should not send mixed signals to our allies who want to eliminate their reliance on Vladimir Putin for good,” the lawmakers said. “We believe that the United States must demonstrate its commitment to supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and resilience amidst ongoing threats by prioritizing and expediting review of projects that will supply LNG to Ukraine and Eastern Europe.”

The Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) has opposed this pause. In February, MSCI sent its own letter to President Biden with the Energy Equipment and Infrastructure Alliance. As a reminder, United States began exporting LNG in 2016 and, until the pause, was the world’s largest exporter. The pause continues to threaten national security. As Politico said, for example, “Soaring exports of liquefied natural gas from terminals along the Gulf Coast have given the United States powerful leverage against Russian suppliers in Europe and Asia.” Indeed, the United States provided more than half of Europe’s LNG imports in 2022 and two-thirds in 2023.