Jackson Purchase News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) addressed the Senate floor today concerning recent developments in energy policy.

"Last week, a federal judge in Louisiana blocked the Biden Administration’s de facto ban on new permitting for the export of America’s abundant liquefied natural gas," McConnell stated.

He criticized the Administration's policy, describing it as harmful to American jobs and likely to increase energy and consumer goods prices. "As I’ve said before, the Administration’s so-called pause is bad policy for a whole host of reasons. It endangers good-paying American jobs and could drive high prices for energy and consumer goods through the roof."

McConnell highlighted concerns about international impacts, particularly on U.S. allies. "Of course, when the flow of clean American LNG slows down, it also presents close allies and trading partners with the prospect of increased reliance on dirtier energy from less savory places."

He noted that most U.S. LNG exports are destined for Europe and Asia but warned that Russian export capacity is increasing to fill any gaps left by reduced American exports. "Russia is lining its war chest with the spoils of its energy exports. It is quite literally fueling its war in Ukraine with the proceeds from what the President’s own Energy Secretary has described as, quote, ‘the dirtiest form of natural gas on Earth.’"

McConnell expressed disapproval of what he termed an overemphasis on green activism within current energy policies. "It’s a dizzying move from an Administration that has, until now, put green activists in the driver’s seat of its energy policy."

He referenced a recent court ruling favoring 16 states that sued to block the moratorium on LNG exports. "The judge agreed with the plaintiffs that the Department of Energy failed to justify the pause on LNG exports, and that they, quote: ‘failed to consider the impact on national security, state revenues, employment opportunities, funding for schools and charities, and pollution allegedly caused by increased reliance on foreign energy sources.’"

In conclusion, McConnell called for an end to regulatory delays affecting American energy projects. "Now it’s time to release American energy projects from the regulatory purgatory where they’ve been trapped for far too long."