LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, U.S. natural gas exports will create
American jobs and will bolster our strategic partnerships.
I serve as president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and many
foreign leaders and officials have expressed to me their need for
energy diversification. As you know, Russia, the largest supplier of
natural gas to Europe, has repeatedly used natural gas pricing to draw
governments closer to its orbit and punished West-leaning governments
with higher prices.
U.S. natural gas exports will foster a more dynamic and competitive
world energy market, helping to curb the use of energy as a political
weapon. And regardless of where natural gas from the United States is
shipped, increasing supply in the global market will help international
customers with greater choice and leverage to negotiate prices.
In fact, the Obama administration has made this exact same argument.
The State Department's energy envoy recently stated:
Now where the gas will go doesn't matter. The fact that we
have approved exports of natural gas has already had an
impact on Europe. And where the molecule actually ends up
going also doesn't matter.
Now, I understand there have been questions about whether or not
European countries, such as Ukraine, are prepared to receive U.S.
natural gas. Many of our European allies are implementing
infrastructure projects to diversify their natural gas resources.
For example, Poland and Lithuania are opening LNG import terminals to
reduce their dependence on Russian gas. Just last week, Poland and
Ukraine announced an agreement to construct a pipeline that will allow
Ukraine to access natural gas from two LNG import terminals,
potentially from the United States. England and Spain already have
contracts in place to receive U.S. natural gas.
These are just a few examples of how these infrastructure projects
will help Europe diversify its natural gas resources.
Mr. Speaker, last year, President Obama, in a joint statement with
European leaders, welcomed U.S. natural gas exports to help our
European allies and our strategic partners.
I am encouraged by the President's statements. These words must be
followed by action. The President must work with Congress to enact H.R.
351.
I urge all of my colleagues to support it.
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