Following Trump’s Lead, House Republicans Vote to Pad Big Oil’s Profits

Increasing Dirty Fossil Fuel Exports Will Benefit Producers at the Expense of U.S. Consumers

Washington, D.C. –  In response to today’s House vote on the Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act (H.R. 7176), Climate Power senior advisor Alex Witt issued the following statement:

“MAGA Republicans in the House remain focused on two goals: following Donald Trump’s orders and padding Big Oil’s profits at the expense of American consumers. Today’s vote would open the floodgates for essentially unlimited fossil fuel exports, driving up costs here at home in order to put even more money in the pockets of oil and gas CEOs. This is more evidence that both Trump and his MAGA allies in Congress remain beholden to the oil billionaires and other fossil fuel interests that fund their campaigns.

“President Biden, in contrast, has done more to fight climate change and prioritize clean energy than any president in history. His pause on new fossil fuel gas export facilities is just the latest example. It will protect consumers, the climate, and the communities that bear the brunt of the deadly air and water pollution that accompanies these dangerous and dirty facilities.

“The choice up and down the ballot in November could not be clearer.” 

Immediately after President Biden announced his pause on permitting new fossil fuel gas export facilities, Donald Trump announced that, as part of his plans to be a dictator on day one, he will immediately reverse this decision. 

According to recent government data, increasing methane gas exports could drive up energy prices by as much as 42% in some parts of the country. Meanwhile, an independent study by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis calculated that U.S. methane gas exports from 2021 to 2022 cost households, businesses, and industries an additional $111 billion in everyday costs.