House of Representatives Votes to Rubber-Stamp LNG Projects, Disregarding Thorough Public Interest Determinations

The Unlocking Domestic LNG Potential Act would increase energy costs, planet-warming emissions, and health burdens on frontline communities 

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1949, the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2025. The bill would hamstring the federal government’s ability to determine whether liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports are in the public interest. It would eliminate the Department of Energy’s role in evaluating LNG exports and instead direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to automatically deem LNG exports in the public interest without requiring sufficient study of increased exports on domestic energy costs, climate change, health consequences, and other impacts on the American public. 

After the House vote, Earthjustice Action Legislative Representative Auburn Bell issued the following statement:  

“Fresh from their seven-week vacation, House Republicans wasted no time locking us into decades more of fossil fuel extraction and increasing polluter profits at the expense of our wallets, climate, and health. The impacts are clear. LNG exports are already increasing domestic energy costs while exposing those who live alongside export terminals to more toxic pollution. It’s absurd that Congress is attempting to bar any consideration of these serious consequences when determining whether LNG exports are in the public interest. These determinations require transparent, thorough, and rigorous study, not an automatic approval from an agency with no expertise in LNG markets.”   

This week, over 125 groups sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries urging them to oppose the bill.