{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://balderson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2656", "Balderson Pushes Back on Biden's LNG Export Project Ban", "2024-05-02", "2024", "2024-05", "Republican", "House", "OH", "Troy Balderson", "B001306", "balderson.house.gov", "balderson", "https://balderson.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27&Page=4", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12) confronted Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm on the Biden Administration\u2019s dangerous decision to halt liquified natural gas (LNG) export projects during her appearance before the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security on Wednesday.\n\nThe LNG export ban is seen by both conservatives and progressives alike as an election year political stunt. Yet, Secretary Granholm and the DOE defend the decision by warning LNG exports may raise the price of energy for domestic consumers in the future.\n\nBalderson countered the administration\u2019s argument by pointing to decades of data indicating the stability of natural gas prices since the first American LNG export terminal began operation in 2016. To shield consumers from escalating energy costs, Balderson proposed that the Biden Administration reassess its inflationary policies, which have already devastated families in Ohio and across America.\n\nBelow is the exchange between Balderson and Granholm:\n\nRep. Balderson: \u201cSecretary Granholm, I just want to follow up on a point you raised both earlier this morning and during your budget hearing with the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources a few weeks ago. You\u2019ve expressed concerns about the impact increasing LNG exports may have on domestic natural gas prices. That concern is one of the reasons your department went forward with the pause on approving new LNG exports\u2014is that correct?\u201d\n\nSec. Granholm: \u201cIt\u2019s one of the issues that are being researched by the national labs as we consider what\u2019s in the public interest.\u201d\n\nRep. Balderson: \u201cThank you, I\u2019d like to follow up on the concern. Since 2016, we\u2019ve increased our LNG export capacity from zero to over 11 billion cubic feet per day. We\u2019re now the world\u2019s top LNG exporter. And guess what\u2014the [price] of natural gas has remained stable and affordable. In fact, the current Henry Hub spot price is well below two dollars and is lower now than at any point between 2000 to when we began exporting in 2016, despite record inflation. \u201cUnder President Biden, gasoline prices have gone up 48 percent, home heating oil is up 33 percent, electricity is up 29 percent, and total energy costs are up 39 percent. If this Administration was actually interested in ensuring affordable energy for our constituents\u2014you wouldn\u2019t block leasing on federal lands, raise fees on natural gas producers, or force existing, reliable generation into early retirement.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:12:30Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://balderson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2656"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0201679542660713, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}