Bipartisan House members call for appropriations rider blocking Biden administration LNG export freeze

A bipartisan group of House members is pushing for a rider in an annual appropriations bill that would undo the Biden administration’s freeze on new liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.

In a letter led by Rep. Carol Miller (R-W.Va.), seven members called on congressional leaders to add language to the energy and water appropriations bill for fiscal 2024 restricting appropriated funds from being used to alter current permitting standards for LNG exports.

The members note the increase in LNG exports from the U.S. that have followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting disruption to European energy supplies.

“The U.S. natural gas industry supports more than 10 million American jobs and supported nearly $1.8 trillion in U.S. gross domestic product in 2021,” they wrote. “The Department of Energy has also confirmed that American LNG is up to 30% cleaner than Russian natural gas, and if we do not fulfill the demand for LNG and let other countries like Russia control the markets, emissions will continue to rise.”

In addition to Miller, the letter is signed by Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Michael Cloud (R-Texas), and Mary Peltola (D-Alaska).

The demand comes with just days left before government funding is set to run out for many agencies. Miller’s office did not respond to a question about whether she would be willing to force a shutdown over the policy.

“This language must be included in the bill so the United States can continue as the world’s top exporter of LNG,”  Miller said in a statement. “The Biden Administration should understand that Congress is serious about American energy independence and that bowing to the demands of extreme activists puts us all at risk.”

The Republican House last week passed a bill that would transfer presidential authority to reject export projects to the independent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. In addition to all the Democratic members who signed the letter, Democratic votes for that bill included Reps. Yadira Caraveo (Colo.), Jared Golden (Maine), Rick Larsen (Wash.), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.) and Marc Veasey (Texas).

The Hill has reached out to Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee’s energy and water subcommittee, for comment. 

Rachel Frazin contributed.