In a major legislative push Thursday night, the House passed two energy bills aimed at boosting U.S. refineries and streamlining American liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, in what House Republicans call a reversal of stifling Biden-era energy policies.
Republican Reps. Bob Latta of Ohio and August Pfluger of Texas introduced the REFINER Act and the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act, respectively, both of which will now move forward to the Senate. Some House Republicans argue that if they get their way, these bills will help revive American energy dominance while lowering costs for consumers and sharply departing from what they describe as former President Joe Biden’s crippling energy policies.
Pfluger’s bill, which passed 217-288, would shift LNG project approval authority from the Department of Energy (DOE) to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) after the DOE froze most approvals during the Biden administration. The REFINER Act, which passed 230‑176, would direct the National Petroleum Council to submit a report to the Secretary of Energy and Congress on American petrochemical refineries, identifying whether any U.S. policies have hindered the industry.
“House Republicans and President Trump are undoing the damage done by climate alarmists and activist bureaucrats. For four years, the Biden administration crippled America’s energy production with burdensome regulations that drove up costs and increased our dependency on foreign adversaries,” House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement. “Now, we’re following through on our promise to correct harmful Democrat policies, unleash American energy dominance, and bring down costs.”
Today @HouseGOP passed @BobLatta‘s REFINER Act and @RepPfluger‘s Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act.
These commonsense bills advance American energy dominance, strengthen our energy industry, and deliver lower energy prices across America. pic.twitter.com/La9usyjoVk
Should Congress support the recent energy bills passed by House Republicans?— Energy and Commerce Committee (@HouseCommerce) November 21, 2025
A 2024 order under the Biden administration effectively froze LNG approvals, which critics described as an election year present to the well-funded green lobby. FERC is an independent agency led by commissioners from both political parties, concerning itself mostly with highly technical issues of energy regulation. By contrast, the DOE is a cabinet-level agency headed by a Senate-confirmed political appointee chosen by the president, making it ostensibly more susceptible to political influence than FERC.
“Today’s House passage of my Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act is another major victory in achieving American energy dominance. My legislation reforms the broken, politically weaponized approval process so we can streamline permitting for exporting LNG once and for all,” Pfluger said in a statement provided to the DCNF. “It’s simple: Exporting American LNG strengthens our economy, stabilizes prices, drives much-needed investment in energy infrastructure, and bolsters the energy security of our global partners.”
Proponents argue the bills will bolster the American economy by optimizing refinery operations and allow the LNG sector to thrive with fewer risks of being subject to future administrative crackdowns.
“By unleashing American energy, House Republicans are leading the way to support our nation’s energy security, strengthen our grid, and lower prices for hard-working families,” Brett Guthrie, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said in a Thursday statement. “The REFINER Act will help to ensure our refineries are being used effectively to produce the oil, gas, and other critical feedstocks we rely upon while the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act expands American energy production and infrastructure by removing U.S. LNG export restrictions, which the Biden-Harris Administration politicized and abused.”
(Featured Image Media Credit: The White House/Wikimedia Commons)
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