Hearing Wrap Up: Biden-Harris Administration Ban on LNG Exports Harms U.S. Energy Producers; DOE Must Produce Documents Requested by Committee

WASHINGTON—The Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs held a hearing titled, “Exposing the Truth on LNG: How the Administration Played Politics with America’s Energy Future.” Members discussed how the Biden-Harris Administration’s effective ban on LNG exports has harmed the U.S. domestic energy industry and has cost American workers job opportunities. The members also criticized the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for failing to produce documents to the Committee’s and pressed the DOE witness to deliver the information requested as quickly as possible.

Key Takeaways:

The Committee on Oversight and Accountability has provided numerous opportunities for the Biden-Harris Administration’s Department of Energy (DOE) to provide transparency on its decision to pause—and effectively ban—new exports of LNG to non-Free Trade Agreement countries. DOE has continued to withhold information from the Committee’s investigation.

• Brad Crabtree— Assistant Secretary of Energy for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management at the U.S. Department of Energy—failed to confirm that he would provide the documents requested by Committee investigators, despite multiple opportunities to answer in the affirmative.

The DOE’s ban on LNG exports is the latest move by the radical left to accomplish their Green New Deal agenda, ignoring the economic and fiscal impacts which are felt by the American people. The Oversight Committee will continue to hold the Biden-Harris Administration responsible for their failed energy policies and will work with the incoming Trump Administration to reverse the harm of current administration.

• Subcommittee Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Chairman Pat Chairman Fallon: “It’s chilling that the President didn’t even know, and wasn’t seemingly aware, of the impact of this pause. We have seen unnecessary damage done by this Administration across industries, especially the energy sector, by leftists who demonize energy production. We are not in a situation where we can go completely renewable…so what did this ban serve?”

Member Highlights: Subcommittee Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Chairman Pat Fallon (R-Texas) refuted DOE’s claim that a study by DOE was needed to be complete before the ban on LNG export permits is lifted.

Chairman Fallon: “But you can do both. You can be doing a study and also having an American company export a vital resource because they are either going to get it from New Mexico or Texas or some other state in our union, or they are going to get it from Moscow. I would far rather have them get it from us.”

Mr. Crabtree: “Just as the DOE did in 2012, we chose to pause our consideration of applications-”

Chairman Fallon: “Oh I know you did and I think that was misguided, I think it was a big mistake.”

Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) pressed the DOE witness on the rationale used by the department to justify the economic hardship stemming from the LNG pause.

Rep. Fry: “How does the Department of Energy justify the economic disruptions in light of the clear benefits of LNG exports to the American workers and their communities?”

Mr. Warren: “This won’t surprise you that I don’t agree with that assertion, the projects that are affected by the pause are seven…the timeframe that we instituted for the pause is short enough that I don’t agree that assertion that there has been disruption to the development of U.S. projects.”

Rep. Fry: “I think other would have a difference of opinion.”

Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) pressed the DOE official on his implication that the LNG export ban was supported by allies. 

Rep. Perry: “What you’re implying is that no one opposed it.”

Mr. Crabtree: “I am not aware of public opposition, there is a range of views as there is in this country and among individual policy makers in those countries clearly.”

Rep. Perry: “But are you aware that anybody publicly supported it? Any?”

Mr. Crabtree: “No.”

Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) demanded that DOE cease its stonewalling and produce the documents requested by the Oversight Committee in its investigation of the Biden-Harris Administration’s LNG export ban.

Rep. Higgins: “Do you run the research and development programs?”

Mr. Crabtree: “Yes I do.”

Rep. Higgins: “And these are research documents, correct? These 4,354 research documents out of your office. This Committee wants those pages, will you deliver those 4,354 pages to this Committee very quickly? Or not? We don’t care what is in them, we get to decide, we get to review the original evidence, so I am asking you, in your capacity of your office, you have possession of these 4,354 pages of documents. This Committee demands them, will you deliver them or not?”

Mr. Crabtree: “I am not responsible for document production, I will take your request back to the team.”