WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) issued the following statement after Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released the text of their bipartisan Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015. Their bill includes the Barrasso-Heinrich bipartisan liquefied natural gas (LNG) export bill (S. 33).

“I applaud Chairman Murkowski and Ranking Member Cantwell for including my bipartisan liquefied natural gas export bill in their energy package. As study after study has shown, American LNG exports will grow our nation’s economy, create jobs, and increase the energy security of key U.S. allies and partners. That’s why support for these exports continues to grow among Democrats, Republicans and the White House. I look forward to the opportunity to debate and consider the entire energy package in the Senate Energy Committee.”

Background:

The Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 includes the Barrasso-Heinrich bipartisan LNG legislation, S. 33, in sections 2201 and 2202 of the bill.

On January 6th, Senator John Barrasso and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced S. 33 the LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act. The bipartisan legislation, which is cosponsored by six Senate Democrats, would speed up the decision-making process for exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to countries which do not have free trade agreements with the United States. The bill specifically requires the Secretary of Energy to make a final decision on any LNG export application within 45 days after the environmental review document for the project is published. On January 29th, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on S. 33.

In addition to Senators Barrasso and Heinrich, S. 33 is sponsored by Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), John Hoeven (R-ND), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Tom Udall (D-NM), Rob Portman (R-OH), Mark Warner (D-VA), Steve Daines (R-MT), John Cornyn (R-TX), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), David Vitter (R-LA) and Dean Heller (R-NV).

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