Christie calls for end to oil export ban

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said the U.S. should lift its decades-old ban on crude oil exports in light of aggression against Ukraine.

During the first day of his trip to Mexico, the possible 2016 presidential contender said on Wednesday that North America should not let its “energy renaissance” be bogged down by “foolish regulation.”

{mosads}“The long-term benefits of open markets for U.S. energy exports are also worth considering in light of the response, particularly in Europe, to Russian aggression in the Ukraine,” Christie said in Mexico City.

He added that North America should “open the global market for United States crude” to reach its full “energy potential.”

Christie is the latest in a string of policymakers to support crude oil exports, a subject most House Republicans have not addressed.

He also pressed for more investments in energy infrastructure, citing the Keystone XL oil pipeline as an “enormous” missed opportunity.

Christie pushed for more natural gas exports as well, but urged industry to “do its part” in properly handling chemicals or hydraulic fracturing and capturing methane emissions from oil and gas production.

Energy issues dominated the governor’s speech, which made no mention of immigration or border security.