On Monday, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security is heading down to Port Arthur for a field hearing titled “Biden’s LNG Export Ban: How Rush-to-Green Politics Hurts Local Communities and U.S. Energy Security.”

I wrote an op-ed regarding the upcoming field hearing and the impact LNG has on Southeast Texas. 

We are over 1,000 days into President Joe Biden's term, and it has been an all-out assault against American energy. The latest and most-alarming offensive against Southeast Texas is the liquefied natural gas (LNG) export ban put in place by a president who is hyper-focused on killing the very industry that keeps my district's lights on. 

Southeast Texas has emerged as our nation's pivotal LNG hub. Positioned approximately 100 miles from the fourth-largest city in the United States, nestled along the Sabine-Neches Waterway on the Gulf Coast, Southeast Texas offers convenient access for vessels to transport goods to our allies.  

Additionally, the region is intricately connected by a network of interstate and intrastate pipelines, further enhancing its strategic importance. We are the energy capital of the world, and we aim to be the LNG Hub of the world, too. 

For over 10 years, our community has embraced the presence of three LNG facilities situated along the strategic waterway: Cheniere LNG, Golden Pass LNG, and Port Arthur LNG. These facilities have been instrumental in fostering economic growth for Southeast Texas.  

They have supported thousands of good-paying jobs for hard-working families, with a special emphasis on the nation's truck drivers. In addition to boosting Southeast Texas' hospitality sector, the growth in our community has allowed home builders to flourish and even food trucks to thrive at job sites.  

Each of these three facilities has demonstrated a commitment to Southeast Texas by contributing to students' education through scholarships and seminars, local infrastructure projects, mitigation projects and overall economic development. The community of Port Arthur is where they are today because these critical investments are revitalizing the area. 

Biden's ban directly jeopardizes Port Arthur LNG, which broke ground on construction in March. They have been fully approved for their phase one project and will fill upwards of 6,000 jobs with more than 100 contracts with local vendors for construction valued at more than $160 million.  

When the ban was announced, they were in the process of applying through the permits and approvals process for phase two, which is an expansion that would help meet future demand for export to Europe, Asia and other global markets. This abrupt, politically motivated ban brings this project to a screeching halt. This ban will cost Southeast Texas thousands of jobs and hurt vendors that rely on projects like these. 

The workforce, businesses, and community are not pleased with Biden's decision. We have seen the positive impacts that the oil and gas industry brings, and we want Southeast Texas to remain the energy capital of the world. More to the point, our country runs on the energy that my district and others provide.  

The health of our nation's economy hinges on a healthy and robust energy industry. President Biden's decision was misguided and warrants immediate reversal. Let's bolster our LNG exports and make Southeast Texas the LNG Hub of the world, instead of kneecapping this positive growth opportunity. 

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has violated the public trust and willfully refused to follow federal immigration laws. He deserves to be impeached and the American people demand that those responsible for the border crisis be held accountable.
 
“On April 10th, the House will send the Senate our duly passed articles of impeachment against Secretary Mayorkas.  

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk.

The Houston area, however, will see a partial eclipse with the moon blocking 94 percent of the sun around 1:40 p.m., giving the visual effect of a bite taken out of the sun, according to Michael Zeiler with Great American Eclipse.

Safety

Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing.

Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.

When watching the partial phases of the solar eclipse directly with your eyes, which happens before and after totality, you must look through safe solar viewing glasses (“eclipse glasses”) or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times. You can also use an indirect viewing method, such as a pinhole projector. Check out NASA's website for more information: https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/safety/

This week, Team Weber attended the ribbon cutting and celebration for the opening of the SH 146 project. I am glad to see this project finished! In Brazoria County, they celebrated Child Abuse Prevention Month at the CASA Pinwheel Ceremony. Gulf Coast CASA provides special advocates to children in foster care in Brazoria County who are court-appointed.