All five Oklahoma U.S. House members sided with the majority in voting to strip President Biden’s authority to permit natural gas export projects—a slap in the face to his freeze issued last month of permits to send more LNG shipments to Europe.
The House vote was 224-200 and Oklahoma U.S. Reps. Stephanie Bice, Josh Brecheen, Tom Cole, Kevin Hern and Frank Lucas voted to rebuke Biden and in support of the Unlocking Domestic LNG Potential Act. They were among 215 Republicans who had the support of nine Democrats.
The legislation was introduced Feb. 1 by Texas Republican Rep. August Pfluger. He chairs the House Energy Action Team or HEAT. Pfluger was joined by Congressman Hern who chairs the RSC or Republican Study Committee in issuing a statement after the successful vote.
“President Biden’s politically-motivated ban on American LNG exports is a monumental mistake that benefits our adversaries and dirty global polluters like Iran and Russia. Unleashing U.S. LNG exports means more American jobs, a more secure world for America and our allies, and lower emissions. The Senate should immediately take up this legislation to improve global security, create American jobs, and help our allies.”
Pfluger also said Biden’s “effective ban on U.S. LNG exports is a gift to Putin and the Iranian regime that just killed three service members with their weapons to the Houthis.”
He added he was proud to stand up for American jobs “when the president seems only to stnd up for the interests of Russia and Iran.”
Two thirds of the world’s natural gas is produced in four countries—Russian, Iran, the U.S. and Qatar.