Democrats bash GOP proposal linking natural gas exports to Ukraine aid

House Democrats are hammering a Republican proposal linking Ukraine aid to an increase in natural gas exports, accusing GOP leaders of pushing poison-pill policies that will only further delay much needed help for a democratic ally under siege. 

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) launched the controversial debate late last month, telling Fox News that he’s eying a plan to allow new permits for liquified natural gas (LNG) exports — a reversal of President Biden’s recent freeze on those licenses — as part of legislation providing new military assistance to Kyiv.

Johnson has been vague about the specifics for a foreign-aid package, and it’s unclear if the proposed natural gas provision will be part of any final legislation emerging from his office. Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), a member of GOP leadership, told reporters Tuesday the provision is still on the table.

But Democrats aren’t waiting silently while the GOP’s favored energy policies gain momentum. Instead, they’re bashing Johnson’s LNG proposal as a conservative pipe-dream that would never win over the Democratic support Johnson will need to get Ukraine aid to Biden’s desk.

“I think it’s a non-starter,” said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.). “I can’t speak for every Democrat, but I know a lot of my colleagues would be mortified by that, and would be upset with any Democratic leader that negotiated for it.”

Johnson is walking a tightrope in his attempt to move another round of Ukraine aid through the lower chamber as Kyiv’s forces run low on munitions and Russian troops make advances. The new funding is supported by the old-guard conservatives in Johnson’s GOP conference — who favor a strong interventionist policy overseas — but is opposed by a newer crop of isolationists, led by former President Trump, who want to use more of Washington’s resources to address problems at home.

In an effort to prevent a revolt from the Trump faction, Johnson has rejected a Senate-passed foreign-aid package, which provided $60 billion to Ukraine, and is vowing to move a more conservative version through the House. As part of that effort, he’s floating the LNG provision, which would reverse a Biden policy reviled by Republicans who want to expand domestic fossil fuel production, not curb it. 

The Speaker says the proposal is relevant to the Ukraine debate because it could help other countries wean themselves from a reliance on Russian fuel, which is helping to fund Moscow’s invasion. 

“We want to unleash American energy. We want to have natural gas exports that will help un-fund Vladimir Putin’s war effort there,” Johnson told Fox News at the end of March.

Democrats have far different ideas. They’ve largely supported Biden’s freeze on LNG export permits, in the name of tackling climate change, while pressing Johnson to bring a vote on the Senate Ukraine bill, which passed through the upper chamber with an overwhelming 70-29 vote, including support from 22 Republicans. Given the bipartisan nature of that bill, they say Johnson is wasting his time with the LNG proposal while Ukraine suffers. 

“Speaker Johnson should stop playing political games with crucial aid to our allies and bring up the bill that got 70 votes in the Senate,” said Rep. Diana DeGette (Colo.), the senior Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee’s subpanel on energy and climate.

The Energy Department announced in January that it would pause approvals of some natural gas facilities as it weighed changing its evaluation process. The decision temporarily froze pending approval requests for countries that do not have a free trade agreement with the U.S., and it will remain in effect until the department updates how it performs analyses.

An administration official told reporters at the time that the process could take a few months, and then it will require a public comment period before being finalized.

The move was cheered by progressives and environmental activists but panned by conservatives, who called it “outrageous” and argued that it was a “gift to Putin.” Since then, Republicans have sought to undo the pause, voting on bills to block the freeze, calling on the administration to undo its decision and pushing for an amendment to the Senate national security supplemental that would have reversed the move.

Johnson’s gambit is the latest GOP effort to change the administration’s stance.

Reuters reported earlier this month that White House officials were open to lifting the pause on LNG exports to get Ukraine aid over the finish line, but it noted no decisions would be made until the entire package is finalized.

A White House spokesperson, however, said the reporting was “not true” and re-upped the president’s position that the House should approve the Senate-passed bill.

“The president supports the pause on pending, additional approvals of LNG export licenses to evaluate the economic and climate impacts on consumers and communities,” the spokesperson added.

Huffman said he’s also been given assurances that the Reuters report was false, and that the LNG freeze is safe.

“The best information I have is that this is not under serious consideration by either the White House or any congressional Democrats,” Huffman said.

Liberals are hounding the administration to keep its pause in place.

“The Biden administration and my Democratic colleagues must not abandon climate and frontline communities just so Republicans can continue to line the pockets of Big Oil and Gas,” Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) told The Hill in a statement last week.

Not all Democrats, however, support Biden’s export freeze. 

In February, nine Democrats joined Republicans in approving a bill to nix the Biden policy — bipartisan support Johnson is sure to highlight as he looks to tack the LNG provision onto the foreign aid legislation. 

“Cutting off that supply will worsen global instability, threaten high-paying union jobs in the U.S., and promote dirtier foreign fuels in the market,” Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) wrote in a statement after supporting the GOP-led bill. “It’s in all of our interests that America maintains its energy leadership.”

Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), who also voted to block the Biden administration’s pause, sounded off on the Energy Department in January after it announced it was freezing export approvals.

“This freeze on new LNG export permits is a major step backwards,” Peltola said in a statement, later adding: “I will be advocating strongly to the President to reverse this short-sighted ban and let American natural gas continue to power a cleaner, safer future.”

In addition to the energy provision, Johnson is eying other changes to the Senate bill, including a proposal to send some new Ukraine aid in the form of a loan, and another, known as the REPO Act, to allow the U.S. to use seized frozen Russian assets to support Kyiv. Democrats have been generally open to both concepts.

A number of Democrats told The Hill last month they could get on board with the loan concept, and almost 30 Democrats have signed on to the REPO Act as co-sponsors, crucial details as the Speaker looks to pick up support for a national security supplemental from both sides of the aisle.

But his energy operation could significantly gut Democratic support, leaving Johnson without the bipartisan support he’ll need to adopt any Ukraine aid into law. 

“The White House knows how this would be perceived by climate voters, by young voters,” Huffman said. “This would be a huge giveaway to the fossil fuel industry, and there’s no reason we should give it serious consideration.”