Ensuring Natural Gas Exports Are in Our National Interest

WASHINGTON -- Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) spoke on our nation's energy policy and ensuring the exportation of natural gas in our national interest.

Below is a video and transcript of the speech.

Thank you for yielding. Mr. Speaker,

The debate about our nation's energy policy is happening here in Congress and around the country.

We're debating the merits of natural gas extraction,with many of us arguing for much stronger regulations to prevent the contamination of our drinking water and the pollution of our air. We're debating the building of the Keystone Pipeline, with many of us arguing that its approval would harm our environment and jeopardize the health and well-being of our communities.

In each of these debates, the arguments of each side may be contrary, but both sides are focused on one very important question: Is this in the national interest? And it's essential that today's debate about the exportation of natural gas be framed in the same light.

The amendment I am offering with my friend from New Jersey is based on a simple premise:

Before hurrying to export as much as 36 billion cubic feet of LNG per day, we should take the time to consider what this will mean for energy prices, jobs, manufacturing, the environment, and our economy.

Current law simply assumes it is always in our national interest to export natural gas even though studies confirm that exporting our natural gas would increase the price domestically. We're providing a rubber stamp review process that expedites LNG exports without considering its potential effects.

Our amendment would simply flip this assumption and require by law the DOE takes into account exports impact on consumers, the economy and energy security before making its decision.

By passing this amendment, we can ensure that the true beneficiaries of our natural gas boom are our consumers and our economy, while protecting our environment at the same time.