Elfreth Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Prevent the Sale of Critical American Energy to Foreign Adversaries

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), a member of the Natural Resources Committee and House Armed Services Committee, introduced the bipartisan Protecting American Energy Security Act alongside co-lead Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL-14).

"This bill is simple: America should not be fueling our adversaries. Allowing the unregulated sale of American energy leaves us open to grave national security threats presented by new cybermissions from countries like Russia and China that would be fueled directly by our own energy producers. The bipartisan Protecting American Energy Security Act will create commonsense oversight measures for one of our most crucial resources to ensure American producers are powering our nation and not our enemies," said Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth.

"It makes no sense to ship American energy overseas for China's benefit while American consumers are forced to pay substantially more," said Rep. Castor. "Exporting LNG to a foreign adversary like China drives up American electricity costs and undermines our national security. The U.S. can support our allies by leading the deployment of clean, affordable energy."

American energy is a critical resource for powering our nation and supporting our national interests, with liquefied natural gas (LNG) specifically used to power cyber operations crucial for national security. However, a loophole in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allows and in some cases encourages the sale of liquified natural gas to foreign adversaries, posing significant risks to our national security.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established a statutory definition of "foreign entity of concern" (FEOC) to ensure the United States was not selling valuable natural resources and energy products to foreign adversaries without appropriate oversight. Nations that are currently considered FEOCs include China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. However, one natural resource not governed by this FEOC regulation is LNG, creating a significant loophole that allows American producers to actively fuel our adversary's cyber operations against our own national interests.

Rather than working to close this loophole, the Trump Administration has been openly embracing it and encouraging LNG producers to sell to China. Following his recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Trump stated that China, "agreed that they will begin the process of purchasing American Energy," and "a very large scale translation may take place concerning the purchase of Oil and Gas from the Great State of Alaska."

The Protecting American Energy Security Act would close this loophole, not by outright banning LNG exports to foreign adversaries, but by bringing LNG exports into alignment with other commonsense energy export oversight measures by requiring certification issued by the Secretary of Energy before LNG is exported to a FEOC to ensure trade is in the public interest. This bill will provide the oversight and accountability measures necessary to give our government flexibility to respond to changing national security risks while ensuring quality control checks on critical energy products that are currently lacking in Federal law. Oil and coal are already subject to a similar regulatory process proposed by the bill, conducted by the Department of Energy.

Beyond national security interests, exporting LNG to these foreign countries could also increase domestic natural gas prices, raising electricity bills and costs at the gas pump for constituents across the country.

Elfreth has spoken on the House floor against the Unlocking Our LNG Potential Act, which openly encourages the sale of LNG to foreign adversaries, like China. Elfreth serves as a member of the Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, where this issue converges. The bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA-02) and Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27) along with environmental organizations and non-profits, including Public Citizen and the Sierra Club. The full bill text is available HERE.

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