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The Biden Administration's misguided, out-of-touch decision to pause pending approvals of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports is just the latest assault from this President on American energy.
Our Congressional District, Pennsylvania's Ninth, encompasses a large part of the Marcellus Shale natural gas region - one of the largest reserves of clean natural gas in the world.
Not only does the natural gas industry support over 123,000 jobs in Pennsylvania, but it also contributes $25 billion a year to the Commonwealth's GDP - meaning Biden's continued assault on American energy, including on the natural gas industry, is truly an assault on Pennsylvania's workforce and economy.
This president's gas-backwards energy policies directly impact companies in our District like Coterra, Seneca Resources, Chesapeake and Southwestern, as well as the thousands of people they employ and their families.
Yet Joe Biden doesn't care. Since taking office, he has:
• issued a moratorium on all natural gas leasing activities in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge;
• increased regulatory building codes to disincentivize the use of natural gas;
• issued an ESG rule hindering investments in natural gas companies;
• implemented a new $8 billion tax on companies that produce, process, transmit or store natural gas;
• significantly raised requirements for assessing proposed natural gas pipelines;
• proposed overly stringent natural gas infrastructure project reviews;
• proposed a rule to severely restrict power generation at new and existing gas-fired power plants.
And most recently, on January 26, the Biden Administration announced its most harmful and inexplicable energy policy decision yet - to pause all approvals of LNG exports, which threatens our economy, our national security, and our ability to reduce carbon emissions.
On an economic front, the benefits of natural gas for America cannot be overstated.
The U.S. natural gas industry is a powerhouse, supporting over 10 million American jobs and contributing nearly $1.8 trillion in U.S. GDP.
By fostering a robust natural gas industry, we stimulate investment, enhance domestic manufacturing, and create well-paying jobs across various sectors.
But, the Biden Administration's decision will hinder all of this. This heavy-handed, big government approach is going to cause a great disruption to long-term LNG infrastructure initiatives. At a time when we should be growing the industry, increasing production, and boosting exports, this decision will limit our ability to be a world-leader on the natural gas stage.
And beyond the economic implications, pausing the consideration of LNG export applications is detrimental to our national security and strategic interests. Our allies depend on a secure and reliable source of LNG, and by withholding approvals, we risk pushing them into the arms of less stable and potentially adversarial suppliers, like Russia.
LNG export projects are indispensable for ensuring that we continue to function as the economic "arsenal of democracy" during geopolitical incidents such as the war in Ukraine.
Simply put, energy security is national security.
And while this administration claims to want to reduce carbon emissions, their actions related to natural gas would make you think otherwise.
Clean natural gas emits approximately 50-60% less CO2 than other fossil fuels, and let me tell you, the way we extract and process it here in America is far cleaner than how it's done in Russia, Iran, China, or Venezuela.
Joe Biden's crusade against the natural gas industry is not only detrimental to consumers and producers, but it is detrimental to America's ability to regain the energy dominance we secured under President Trump. We must embrace an all-of-the-above and all-of-the-below energy solution.
The only people who benefit from Joe Biden's anti-American energy policies are our adversaries overseas.
Joe Biden is choosing Moscow over communities in our District like Montrose.
He is choosing Tehran over Towanda.
And he is choosing Venezuela over Pennsylvania.
The global uncertainty caused by Biden's pausing of LNG export projects hinders our ability to bring American natural gas to the world market and limits the economic and strategic advantages the United States can provide to our allies.
I recently wrote to President Biden echoing these same concerns and calling on him to reverse this disastrous decision. Preserving our Commonwealth's natural gas industry and the jobs it supports remains a top priority of mine in Congress, and I will continue fighting against Joe Biden's assault on American energy. His Administration needs to check its ideology at the door and focus on outcomes. They need to wake up and woke down.
Therefore, to support our economy, to support our national security, and to support Pennsylvania and its workforce, I again strongly urge the Biden Administration to quickly reverse its pause on LNG export projects.
U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, represents part of Lycoming County and surrounding counties.