Texas legislators have launched their own investigation into President Biden’s recent freeze on future LNG export permits, a White House move that angered not only the oil and gas industry but states such as Oklahoma where there is a heavy presence of the industry.
Texas House speaker Dade Phelan announced this week he has formed a select committee to look into the President’s actions.
“President Biden’s abrupt decision earlier this year to pause pending approvals of LNG export projects will likely have significant economic implications for Texas, and it is important we fully understand what a prolonged pause would mean for our state’s thriving energy sector,” Speaker Phelan wrote on X.
“I’ve created the House Select Committee on Protecting Texas LNG Exports to examine the potential impacts to the state a prolong pause would create and ways to mitigate any negative consequences on the LNG industry, the state’s energy sector and our Texas economy.”
The committee will be led by Representative Jared Patterson (R-Frisco); other members include Rep. Christian Manuel (D-Beaumont), Rep. Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa), Rep. Mary Ann Perez (D-Houston) and Rep. Cody Vasut (R-Angleton).
The Speaker’s action came a week after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit along with 15 other states in an attempt to block the President’s freeze.
“Biden’s unilateral decree disregards statutory mandates, flouts the legal process, upends the oil and gas industry, disrupts the Texas economy, and subverts our constitutional structure,” said Paxton in joining the lawsuit.
The filing of the lawsuit drew immediate criticism from environmental groups who argued the pause by the President will protect communities from pollution.
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