Vasquez Continues to Prioritize Lowering Energy Costs for New Mexicans

U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.-02) voted on Feb. 15 against raising the American people’s energy costs and exporting the United States’ domestic oil and natural gas products to economic adversaries, including China.

“House Republicans introduced another extreme bill that would force middle-class families to pay more at the pump and allow adversaries like China to purchase more of our domestic energy,” said Vasquez. “Instead of working to pass my bill that provides health care to oil and gas workers, extreme Republicans are playing politics with this important issue. They are once again prioritizing the interests of Big Oil and Gas CEOs over those of the American people.”

H.R. 7176 removes the federal government’s ability to examine the full impacts of liquified natural gas (LNG) exports. Multiple analyses

have found that increased LNG exports directly lead to higher natural gas prices here at home.

This bill would ensure domestic natural gas prices are subject to our adversaries. For example, in 2021, China was the second-most popular destination for American LNG. In 2015, Republicans pushed through a plan to allow unlimited exports of American crude oil. Because of that, no matter how much oil we produce, Russia and other rivals can manipulate the price of oil.

“We are grateful to Rep. Vasquez for rejecting this dangerous proposal that would have stripped the ability of the federal government to ensure methane gas exports are in the public interest. The truth is an expansion of LNG exports raises our energy prices here at home, pollutes our communities, and puts our climate goals out of reach. With this vote, Rep. Vasquez put people over polluters,” said Camilla Feibelman, Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter Director.

Vasquez remains committed to fighting for the energy workers who fuel New México’s economy and protecting New Mexico’s long-term economic prospects. That’s why Vasquez introduced the Energy Workers Health Improvement And Compensation Fund Act to prioritize energy workers’ health care and hold Big Oil accountable. Vasquez worked closely with local energy workers in the Permian Basin to better understand the challenges they and their families face amid record profits they’ve generated for oil and gas CEOs and massive new investments in energy production in southeast New México.