‘A Gift To Russia & Qatar’: John Barrasso Blasts Biden Over LNG Export Pause

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During a Senate Energy Committee hearing on Wednesday, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) gave opening remarks about pending legislation before the committee.

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Transcript

00:00the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024.

00:04This is a bipartisan bill that Chairman Manchin and I have negotiated with input from members

00:09of this committee over the last year.

00:11The bill is a targeted set of consequential reforms within the committee's jurisdiction.

00:16It's going to boost American energy and mineral production.

00:19It will help lower costs for American families.

00:21It will strengthen our economic and national security and the security of our allies around

00:26the world.

00:28Our bill will guarantee future access to oil and natural gas resources on federal lands

00:32and waters.

00:34It will permanently end President Biden's reckless ban on new liquefied natural gas

00:39exports.

00:40It will fix the disastrous Rosemont decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

00:46And it will ensure that new transmission lines meaningfully improve electric reliability

00:51and actually benefit customers.

00:53Our bill includes a series of reforms for onshore oil and gas leasing and permitting.

00:58For example, it requires the Secretary of Interior to lease acreage that oil and gas

01:03producers actually want.

01:05It also eliminates duplicative requirements for federal drilling permits on state and

01:09private land.

01:11Even a new administration will not be able to enact these reforms under current law.

01:16Our bill also mandates at least one oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico each

01:21year from 2025 through 2029.

01:25That's five total lease sales.

01:28Each sale offers at least 60 million acres.

01:31Under existing law, a new administration would only be able to hold two lease sales in the

01:35next four years.

01:37Our bill permanently ends President Biden's so-called pause on new American LNG exports.

01:44President Biden's pause has been a gift to Russia and Qatar, the world's other leading

01:50LNG exports.

01:53Our bill requires the Secretary of Energy to act on LNG export applications within 90

01:58days.

01:59If the Secretary fails to act, the application would be deemed approved.

02:03Our bill also secures access to critical minerals on federal lands.

02:07It fixes the Rosemont decision by authorizing mill sites on federal land whether or not

02:12that land has minerals.

02:14It eliminates a legal strategy that opponents have pursued for nearly 30 years to block

02:19access to minerals on federal lands.

02:21Even a new administration would not be able to fix the Rosemont decision under current

02:26law.

02:27Our electric transmission, I followed three principles.

02:30First, any changes to existing law must improve electric reliability.

02:35Second, any changes must not result in more subsidies.

02:39And third, any changes must improve the status quo for states, for electric customers, and

02:45for landowners.

02:46And I believe our bill fulfills these principles.

02:49Our bill eliminates the Secretary of Energy's authority to designate National Interest Electric

02:54Transmission Corridors.

02:56The Secretary's process has become far too political.

03:00It is something that Senator Hawley has rightly opposed.

03:04It's in its place the bill requires a transmission developer to show that the FERC, the Federal

03:10Energy Regulatory Commission, if its proposed line meaningfully improves electric reliability.

03:17Under current law, the commission already has broad authority to allocate the cost of

03:21new transmission lines.

03:22Our bill prohibits the commission from allocating cost to customers who receive little to no

03:27benefit from a new line.

03:29It also requires the commission to consider a specified list of customer benefits that

03:34can be quantified and objectively measured.

03:39Our bill puts guardrails on the commission's next rulemaking.

03:43FERC staff has already begun developing a rule on interregional transmission planning.

03:49Our bill protects the discretion of the 11 existing transmission planning regions.

03:55Our bill makes it more likely that neighboring regions will only support lines necessary

03:59to improve electric reliability.

04:03I want to thank the Chairman and his entire staff for their patience and their perseverance.

04:08We would not be here today without their efforts.

04:10Our negotiations were not easy.

04:13Many points along the way, at many points, it was far from clear that we would ever reach

04:17an agreement.

04:18And even now, I know members want to do more, especially on hydropower.

04:22And you have my commitment that we will keep working on it.

04:25Despite the expectations of many, we have put together what I believe is a very strong

04:31piece of legislation before us.

04:33And for that reason, I encourage all members of the committee to support it.

04:36Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

04:37Thank you, Senator.

04:38Now that we do have a quorum, and we're going to vote on the nomination to be Deputy Secretary

04:44of Interior in Shannon Estinos.

04:46The question is on the favorability of reporting the nomination of Shannon to be Deputy Secretary

04:50of the Interior.

04:51Would the recommendation of the nomination be confirmed?

04:53The clerk will call the roll.

04:56Mr. Manchin.

04:57Aye.

04:58Mr. Wyden.

04:59Aye.

05:00Ms. Cantwell.

05:01Aye.

05:02By proxy.

05:03Mr. Sanders.

05:04Aye.

05:05By proxy.

05:06Mr. Heinrich.

05:08Aye.

05:09Ms. Herrono.

05:10Aye.

05:11Mr. King.

05:12Aye.

05:13Ms. Cortez-Masto.

05:14Aye.

05:15Mr. Hickenlooper.

05:16Aye.

05:17Mr. Padilla.

05:18Aye.

05:19Mr. Barrasso.

05:20Aye.

05:21Mr. Risch.

05:22Aye.

05:23Mr. Lee.

05:24Aye.

05:25By proxy.

05:26Mr. Daines.

05:27Aye.

05:28Ms. Murkowski.

05:29No.

05:30Mr. Holbin.

05:31Lee is no, by proxy.

05:32No, I'm sorry.

05:33Lee is no.

05:40Lee is no, by proxy.

05:47And Mr. Holbin.

05:48Aye, by proxy.

05:52Mr. Cassidy.

05:53Aye, by proxy.

05:56Mrs. Hyde-Smith.

05:59Mr. Hawley.

06:00On this vote, the ayes are 16 and the noes are 3.

06:18With that, she is accepted and being confirmed.

06:21Mr. Chairman, I ask that my statement on her be admitted to the record.

06:25Absolutely.

06:26Objection?

06:27Mr. Chairman, I would just like to note for the record that my no vote on Ms. Estinaz

06:34is not reflective of the woman that I had an opportunity to meet with in my office.

06:40It is absolutely reflective on the fact that I don't believe that under this administration

06:46we're going to see any better policies out of the Department of Interior when it comes to the state of Alaska.

06:52And so I can't support her this morning.

06:56Duly noted.

06:57Mr. Chairman?

06:58Senator Jaynes?

06:59So I voted yes.

07:00I have a statement to submit for the record, please.

07:03Absolutely.

07:04Without objection?

07:08We're going to turn to the Senate Bill 4753, the Energy Permitting Reform Act.

07:13Before I do so, I think there's some opening statements people would like to make.

07:16If you could keep it two minutes, it would be very appreciative when we get to the bill.

07:20Senator Wyden.

07:21Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

07:23Mr. Chairman and colleagues, we made history in 2022 with respect to energy.

‘A Gift To Russia & Qatar’: John Barrasso Blasts Biden Over LNG Export Pause

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