President Biden is – literally – taking his foot off our energy industry’s gas pedal.
Recently, the Biden administration moved to ban new LNG exports, which stands for liquified natural gas. The United States is the largest LNG producer in the world, and LNG accounts for 1/3 of our nation’s energy consumption. If you cooked, heated your home, or used electricity today, LNG was the likely energy source. This is a massive industry that heavily improves and impacts our day-to-day lives. In fact, Elba Island – which is in our district – is home to an LNG terminal. This means that Georgia’s First Congressional District doesn’t just benefit from the use of LNG, but also the production and transportation of it.
This also means that our district will be severely harmed by President Biden’s LNG ban. According to the American Petroleum Institute, increasing LNG exports could add as much as $73 billion to the U.S. economy and upwards of 453,000 American jobs by 2040. Instead of tapping into this huge economic potential, President Biden is restricting LNG exports, which will mean higher prices at home for Americans. Energy prices are down from the highs of Summer 2021, but inflation is still crushing the American people. We can’t afford to, and shouldn’t have to, pay more for this necessary resource just to further Biden’s rush-to-green agenda.
Ironically, if President Biden were serious about his rush-to-green agenda, he would embrace the production and export of clean, affordable, and reliable American LNG. American LNG has roughly 40% lower lifecycle emissions than Russian LNG, which is the fourth largest producing country in the world and where many nations, especially European countries, will now be forced to import their LNG from. This isn’t just an environmental concern; it’s a global security one, too.
In December 2023, more than 87% of U.S. LNG exports went to the European Union, United Kingdom, or Asian markets. U.S. LNG helped reduce natural gas prices in Europe by over 83% from 2022 levels following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. President Biden’s LNG export ban weakens global energy security and undercuts our efforts to help Europe reduce its reliance on Russian energy.
For these reasons, and many more, this ban is bad for Americans, bad for the world, and must be rescinded. That’s why, this week, House Republicans passed the Unlocking our LNG Potential Act. This bill lifts the Biden Administration’s pause on all pending approvals of LNG export terminals and includes strong protections to prohibit trade with a person or foreign country under sanction or listed as a state sponsor of terrorism.
This is an important step that will unleash the American economy and keep clean LNG flowing worldwide so that we can heat our homes, cook our food, and turn on the lights without breaking the bank. |
In this week's edition of Buddy's Briefing, we are back in Washington, D.C. discussing my vote to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
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Friends of the First was a massive success again this year, thanks to you! Your cards traveled across the entire district to spread love and appreciation to our first responders. Thank you!
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Monday, February 12, 2024: For the third year in a row, we are having our Friends of the First program to recognize our first responders and heroes in our district that deserve recognition and thanks. Our first year we recognized our Veterans and for the past two years we have recognized our first responders and public safety personnel. We coordinate this around Valentines Day and partner with elementary schools in the district and ask students to make Valentines cards for our friends. I personally deliver the cards to our friends in each of the 15 counties in our district. The program continues to be an outstanding success as it lets our friends know that we appreciate and support them and, perhaps most importantly, teaches our children to appreciate and support our friends. Our first responders are so excited to receive the cards and appreciative of the effort that the students put into the cards. One card in particular literally brought tears to one of the first responders’ eyes as he read a card from a student that thanked our first responders who came to her home in an ambulance and saved her daddy’s life. We begin our deliveries this morning in Brunswick at the Glynn County 911 call center as we thank these friends for the crucial work they do. Next, we head to the Nahunta Fire Department in Brantley County to thank them for their work. After a great visit to Ware County Fire Station # 1 in Waycross, we head to the Blackshear 911 call center in Pierce County and thank them for their work. Next, we head to the Bacon County Hospital in Alma to thank the nurses for their work before heading to the Appling County Sherrif’s office in Baxley to thank Sherrif Mark Melton and his staff for their work. After a great visit with Wayne County first responders in Jesup, we head to Long County where we thank Ludowici Police officers for their work. Our next stop is the Hinesville Police Department in Liberty County where we thank long time Police Chief Lloyd Slater for his 37 years of service to the department before heading to the Hinesville Fire Department to thank them for their work. After a great visit to the Richmond Hill Police Department in Bryan County, we head to Chatham Emergency Services in Savannah where we thank them for their work and speak with local media about our program. Next, we head to the Rincon Police Station in Effingham County and thank them for their work before heading to the McIntosh County Fire Department in Darien to thank them for their work.
Rep. Carter delivers Valentines cards to the Nahunta Volunteer Fire Dept.
Tuesday, February 13, 2024: I’m up early and on the way to St. Mary’s in Camden County this morning and, once there, I virtually join a panel on Mornings with Maria on Fox Business as we discuss the latest economic numbers. Afterwards, I meet with St. Marys Police Chief James Galloway and Kingsland Police Chief Rickey Evans to thank them for their work before heading to Charlton County to meet with Sheriff Robert Phillips and his staff and thank them for their work. Next, I head to Jacksonville airport for my return trip to Washington and, during the drive, I join in on our all staff conference call followed by our district virtual call. Once back in our Washington office, I have a series of meetings including with our scheduling team, a French pharmaceutical company, Valneva, our communications team, our legislative team, Clean Cities Georgia, and Chatham County Commissioners including Commission Chairman Chester Ellis. After a meeting with Energy and Commerce (E&C) Environment, Manufacturing and Critical Materials (ENV) subcommittee staff, I have a meeting with NACO mental health commission including Chatham County Commissioner Helen Stone, before heading to our weekly Whip Team meeting. After our first vote series of the week, I remain in the House Chamber and pay tribute to Paul Ploeger, a Brunswick resident who recently passed.
Rep. Carter meets with the Chatham County Commissioners
Wednesday, February 14, 2024: After a meeting off Capitol Hill with my retired colleague and former Chair of the E&C ENV subcommittee, Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL), I head to our weekly GOP Conference meeting before heading to an E&C Health Subcommittee hearing on legislative proposals to support patients and caregivers. Before heading to a Budget Committee hearing on the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) budget and economic outlook, I head to the House Chamber and pay tribute to George Barnhill from Clinch County who recently passed, Madison Jennings, a Rhodes Scholar from the University of Georgia, Elaine Tuten who recently retired from Defense Credit Union, and Rudy Underwood, who recently retired from the American Chemistry County. Once back in our office, I meet with Alliance for Chemical Distribution followed by a meeting with Coastal Community Health Services before heading to a meeting with the Republican Governance Group off Capitol Hill. Once back at the Capitol, I head to an E&C Energy Subcommittee hearing with State Utility Regulators including Georgia’s own Public Service Commission member Trisha Pridemore, before heading back to our office for a series of meetings including with former Congressman Bob Inglis (R-SC), a constituent with the Social Security service, Georgia Primary Care Association and Georgia Rural Hospital Association. After a meeting off Capitol Hill, I head back to the House Chamber for our only vote series of the day and remain in the Chamber afterwards to pay tribute to Dr. Swati Kulkarni, Consul General for India, who recently moved from Atlanta.
Rep. Carter meets with Coastal Community Health
Thursday, February 15, 2024: After our weekly Doctors Caucus meeting where we hear from staff concerning this year’s Farm Bill, I head back to our office where I have a taped interview for Pharmacy Podcast Network before heading off Capitol Hill for a House Conservative Fund meeting. Once back at the Capitol, I head to a E&C Communications and Technology (C&T) Subcommittee hearing on securing American communication networks from foreign adversaries before heading to an E&C ENV Subcommittee hearing that I chair dealing with ending the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) attack on American manufacturing. Afterwards, I head to the House Chamber where I speak on HR 1130, overturning the President’s suspension of American LNG exports and remain in the Chamber for our final vote series of the week and then pay tribute to Randall Pifer, the Brunswick Exchange Club’s Veteran of the Year for 2023. Next, I head to the Longworth House Office Building where I participate in a Western Caucus Foundation Digital connect program on Natural Gas Energy and LNG exports before heading downtown to speak to the National Association of Manufacturers regarding my new role as Chair of the E&C ENV Subcommittee. Once back in our office, I meet with my good friend Thad Carter who is visiting the Capitol before recording this week’s editions of Buddy’s Briefings and Material Minute.
Rep. Carter chairs E&C Environment Subcommittee Hearing
Friday, February 16, 2024: I’m live on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal this morning as I take phone calls from across the country dealing with a number of issues, primarily the border and aid for Israel, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific.
Rep. Carter on CSPAN Washington Journal |
Click here to see this week's votes in the House of Representatives. |
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