BOEHNER AND HUNGARY’S ORBAN MEET TO DISCUSS NATURAL GAS EXPORTS

 

In a meeting with Dr. Anita Orban, Hungary’s Ambassador-at-Large for Energy Security, Speaker Boehner continued to push for expanding U.S. natural gas exports as a tool to weaken Vladimir Putin’s energy stranglehold on Europe.

“We’ve got real friends over in Eastern and Central Europe that need our help,” Boehner said prior to the meeting, held in his ceremonial office. “The best way we can help them is to help supply their energy needs, so they’re not as dependent on the Russians.”

Dr. Orban noted that Hungary was one of four central European nations that recently sent a letter to the Speaker last month urging action on this front.  “Speaker Boehner responded to our call immediately,” Orban said, adding, “The voice of the United States Congress is widely heard in Central and Eastern Europe.”

Earlier in the afternoon, Dr. Orban testified at a House Energy & Commerce subcommittee hearing.  Here is a key excerpt from her testimony:

“By liberalizing LNG exports, by eliminating the legal and administrative obstacles to the free trading of this vital, domestically produced commodity, the United States would provide fast and long-lasting protection for its allies against the most important dangers of natural gas dependency.  Moreover, it would also enable them to act more freely in assisting Ukraine in case of an energy crisis developed there.  … It is important to note that this is an elegant, yet very effective tool, which is relatively cheap to use. It incurs no threat of loss of life, not even a disruption of economic activities: it is only a removal of a self-imposed barrier.”

See more at: http://www.speaker.gov/photo/boehner-and-hungary-s-orban-meet-discuss-natural-gas-exports?Source=GovD#sthash.JdcGHL4L.dpuf