Washington, DC – Representative James Lankford (R-OK) released the following statement after Monday’s Department of Energy announcement of the approval of Oregon’s Jordan Cove to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Non-Free Trade Agreement countries:

“I am pleased the Department of Energy approved Oregon’s Jordan Cove LNG terminal to expand our ability to export liquefied natural gas. The process of approving facilities to export American LNG continues to be tedious and prolonged.

“There is a strong international demand for America’s abundant natural gas that we should not delay to meet. If the White House believes that trade is critical to America’s prosperity, it is time to put their belief to action. Due to the abundance of American gas, the technology revolution in oil and gas and the smart resourceful people in the American energy industry, we can export LNG at a greater rate and keep costs low for domestic consumers and businesses that rely on this strategic product,” Rep Lankford added.

“The Administration should allow the Department of Energy to expedite the approval of LNG export terminals. Our country could better prepare to responsibly export our natural gas surpluses to energy-hungry nations, while we continue to develop our internal infrastructure to better utilize our plentiful resources. It is vital that the Administration understand the decisions they make concerning domestically-produced energy exports practically impacts our friends around the world. Delaying authorization of LNG export terminals has global implications.”