10.09.15

Hoeven Statement on the House Vote to Lift the Crude Oil Export Ban

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement in response to the U.S. House of Representatives’ successful vote to lift the long-standing crude oil export ban:

“The House today voted to lift the decades-old ban on exporting crude oil from the United States. In the Senate, I have been working with leadership to get a vote to eliminate the ban by year end. Lifting the law prohibiting U.S. producers from selling their product on the world market will help produce more energy, grow our economy and create more jobs, both in North Dakota and across the nation.

“America has for too long depended on foreign energy and global markets that we have little to no control over to provide our country with energy,” Hoeven said. “Lifting the ban on crude oil exports, empowering states to develop their energy resources and partnering with allies like Canada can help to free us from our dependence on the Middle East and other volatile parts of the world for energy. While the president has threatened to veto this bill, I urge him to reconsider and support the effort, which will create jobs, grow our economy, enhance our security and benefit our consumers.”

Hoeven, a member of the Senate Energy Committee, joined Senate Energy Committee Chairman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and a bipartisan group of senators in May to introduce the Energy Supply and Distribution Act of 2015, legislation that would lift the ban on U.S. crude oil exports. Specifically, the measure would authorize exports of crude oil and condensate produced in the United States without requiring a federal license, on the same basis as exports of refined petroleum products are currently authorized.

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