Despite a growing chorus of bipartisan voices calling for swift action to increase U.S. LNG exports to help lessen Russia’s influence in Eastern Europe, on Friday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest dismissed the effort saying it “would not have an immediate effect.” But on Saturday, the Visegrad 4 group, comprised of Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia, sent Congressional leaders a letter pleading for help from the United States to reduce their dependence on Russian energy supplies by removing bureaucratic hurdles to LNG exports.

The Eastern European nations wrote, “With the current shale gas revolution in the United States, American companies are seeking to export gas, including to Europe. But the existing bureaucratic hurdles for the approval of the export licenses to non-FTA (free-trade agreement) countries like the Visegrad countries are a major hurdle.” Russia has been known to use its gas supplies to exert influence in the past. In January 2009, Russia briefly disrupted gas supplies during a dispute with Ukraine.

Rep. Cory Gardner and other members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee introduced legislation last week to overcome the Department of Energy’s delays and fast track natural gas exports to our allies. H.R. 6, the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act, would grant immediate approval of complete export applications currently filed at DOE, and modify the process moving forward to ensure that exports to our allies are not subject to unnecessary delays. Gardner appeared on Fox Business Network’s Varney and Co. to discuss H.R. 6 and the importance of LNG exports. Gardner explained, “By allowing more exports of LNG, not only are we going to create those new jobs, but we are going to ease the pressure on nations who have to be reliant on nation’s like Russia for their energy supplies.”

Source: https://energycommerce.house.gov/blog/white-house-downplays-importance-lng-exports-eastern-europe-makes-plea-us-natural-gas