"YES" on Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act (H.R. 6)
"YES" on Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act (H.R. 6)
This week, the House will vote on the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act (H.R. 6). Introduced by Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), the bill would expedite approval of applications for the export of natural gas by requiring the Department of Energy to issue a final decision on applications within 30 days of the conclusion of the NEPA environmental review of the facilities. It also provides for expedited judicial review by the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Currently, the Department of Energy is refusing to move forward on approximately 24 applications to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to non-FTA countries. The Heritage Foundation's Nicolas D. Loris explains the onerous delays are detrimental to America's international competitiveness:
As the Department of Energy wavers on approving LNG terminals, other countries are pursuing this valuable opportunity. Of course, natural gas exports are not a zero-sum game. Companies in other countries expanding their LNG exporting capacity do not necessarily negate opportunities for companies in the U.S. to do the same.
As Heritage subsequently noted, even though the DOE has "determined that permitting LNG exports would be a net benefit to the country, it has failed to make a determination on some of these applications for over 2 years now." By expediting this stalled process, the bill would enhance the "role the U.S. can play in increasing global supply, allowing European nations to diversify their suppliers and lessen their dependence on a hostile Russia."
The Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act takes an important step forward in reforming a broken system by breaking down barriers that currently prevent the U.S. from fully harnessing the potential in our natural gas production.
Heritage Action supports H.R. 6 and will include it as a vote on our legislative scorecard.
Related:
Heritage Action Scorecard
The Chorus for LNG Exports Gets Bigger and Louder
"YES" on Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act (H.R. 6)