Republican Lawmakers Express Concern Over Possible Ban On US Crude Oil Export - Letter

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th December, 2021) A group of more than 60 Republican members of Congress expressed concerns over a possible Biden administration ban on the export of US crude oil in a letter sent to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Friday.

"We are extremely concerned about the comments Secretary Granholm made regarding the possibility of reinstating a ban on exporting American crude oil. Domestic oil and gas producers are already feeling the burden of the Biden Administration's reckless energy policies, such as cancelling the Keystone Pipeline and pausing leasing on Federal lands, which further harms the industry and American consumers... We must allow American companies to compete with every other major oil producing country," the letter said.

Exports increased over 500% from 2015 to 2019 after Congress repealed an export ban in order to allow US companies to compete in the international marketplace, the letter said. The United States became energy independent and a net exporter of petroleum product, it added.

The lawmakers in the letter requested answers from Granholm and Raimondo on a number of questions, including what impact a reinstatement of the moratorium would have on the US economy, what aggregate effect decreased US oil exports have on net global carbon emissions and whether the administration has discussed the national security implications of being more dependent on OPEC+ countries.

Signatories to the letter include Congressmen Roger Williams, August Pfluger, Kevin Brady and Jodey Arrington alongside dozens of others.