White House takes dim view on bill to speed up gas exports

The White House said on Wednesday that legislation to speed up liquefied natural gas exports isn’t needed.

In an email to The Hill, a White House official said, “this process is working well, and we don’t believe that legislation is necessary.”

The White House has not issued a veto threat on the bill or a formal statement of administration policy.

{mosads}The official added that the Energy Department (DOE) has taken steps to update the approval process of natural gas export facilities. 

The DOE ensures “applications are looked at efficiently and expeditiously,” the official said. 

The comment from the White House comes despite talks between Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and lawmakers on Capitol Hill to find mutually agreeable language on legislation to expedite the process.

Moniz has sat down with Republicans like Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) to work on such legislation, but the Wednesday statement from the White House indicates the administration isn’t behind such measures.