Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and colleagues in urging President Biden to take steps to ease energy prices and reduce energy shortages.
“Even before colder temperatures set in, natural gas inventories around the nation are 5.5% below the five-year average, and demand has ramped up as the economy continues to recover. Due to lower supply and higher demand, natural gas prices are more than 250% higher than they were this time last year and the Energy Information Agency (EIA) expects natural gas prices to climb even higher this winter based on supply projections,” the senators wrote.
“These increased prices are projected to raise the heating bills of the 47 percent of American homes that rely on natural gas for heating and the 40 percent of American homes heated with electricity, the price of which is increasingly reflective of natural gas prices. Similarly, the average price of heating oil and propane is already double what it was one year ago, with prices expected to continue to rise this winter,” the senators continued.
The senators urged Biden to take several steps to ease the energy crisis, including lifting the administration’s ban on oil and gas lease sales on Federal lands and waters, accelerating Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Army Corps permitting and interagency coordination to approve pipeline projects and ending the regulatory uncertainty that is stifling investments in energy.
“In summary, as President of the United States, you have the authority to unleash our nation’s clean, abundant, and affordable natural gas resources for the benefit of all Americans and the world. This is particularly critical for the millions of Americans heading into winter who are worried about how they will keep warm. We are committed to assisting your Administration if you wish to work together in a bipartisan fashion to chart a new course that establishes the kind of regulatory framework and legislative priorities that will increase domestic energy production,” the senators concluded.
Video of Kennedy discussing the danger of the Biden administration’s energy policies is available here.
Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) also signed the letter.
The letter is available here.