Republican Texas Rep. Jodey Arrington introduced a bill Wednesday aimed at restricting future U.S. presidents from imposing an export ban on crude oil without first providing valid reasoning.
The bill, known as the Continuing Robust and Uninhibited Drilling and Exporting (CRUDE) Act, would prevent future U.S. presidents from imposing export bans on crude oil unless the restrictions were enacted due to reasons of national security, according to a copy of the legislation first obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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Alternatively, the bill would also allow the president to impose an oil export ban if the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Commerce Department jointly found and reported to Congress and the president that exporting crude oil had caused supply shortages or increased prices significantly above world market levels and the shortages or price increases either caused or would likely cause negative impacts on employment.
Notably, former President Joe Biden introduced various regulations during his sole term to curb the growth of the U.S. oil and gas industry, including imposing restrictions on certain liquified natural gas (LNG) exports.
“Four long years of President Biden featured a whole-of-government assault on domestic energy – the lifeblood of our economy,” Arrington told the DCNF in an exclusive statement. “He even considered a ban on all American oil exports, which would decimate our economy, quality of life, and future investment in the United States. We are fortunate to have President Trump back in the Oval Office, but Congress must seize this opportunity and pass legislation to safeguard our energy independence from the radical policies of future administrations.”
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The Biden-Harris administration announced in January 2024 that it would pause approvals for certain new LNG export terminals to non-free trade agreement countries to assess whether additional exports were in the public interest, which led to massive pushback from Republicans.
President Donald Trump has made it a priority to “unleash” American energy as part of his broader “energy dominance” agenda since he returned to the Oval Office on Jan. 20. Just one day after Trump took office, his DOE announced that it was “returning to regular order” by ending the Biden-era pause on LNG exports.
The Trump administration has been rapidly moving to overturn many of Biden’s energy policies, such as the DOE announcing on Feb. 5 that it is planning to refill the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).
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The agency’s announcement came after the Biden-Harris administration released about 180 million barrels from the SPR ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, causing the reserve to near its lowest levels in roughly 40 years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Relatedly, Trump has been calling on foreign countries to reduce the cost of oil since he returned to office. While on the campaign trail, Trump vowed to boost domestic oil and gas production as part of his “drill, baby, drill” agenda.
“I am proud to introduce the CRUDE Act to ensure President Trump’s legacy of American energy dominance lives on for future generations,” Arrington told the DCNF.
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First published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
