Apr 23, 2015 2 min read

In response to John Baranowski’s April 19 letter, the Liquefied Natural Gas Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act expands domestic energy production by expediting the approval process for liquefied natural gas export permits. Southwestern Pennsylvania is in the heart of the Marcellus Shale field and considered the energy capital of the United States. Our communities in Washington and Greene counties are undergoing a resurgence resulting from the safe development of natural gas. Exporting our natural gas resources not only benefits our local communities, but the nation as a whole. By allowing the United States to export our resources and compete with OPEC, we reduce the stranglehold of energy dependence on Middle East resources, which is in our national security interests.

As one of 277 bipartisan members of Congress who voted in favor of The LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act, I also voted against a partisan procedural motion aimed to block this important bill from advancing. This motion, referenced in Baranowski’s letter, was intended to put a hold on a bill which would provide jobs to 45,000 unemployed Americans by 2018. That’s why the Western Pennsylvania delegation uniformly opposed the partisan motion, as well as 233 other members of Congress.

The Liquefied Natural Gas Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act grows our economy, creates jobs and enables the United States to be on an equal playing field when exporting energy resources. This bipartisan legislative initiative shouldn’t be derailed by partisan procedural tactics or business-as-usual Washington politics.

Tim Murphy

Washington, D.C.

Murphy is a congressman representing Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District.