In January, just a few weeks before it was reported that the United States officially surpassed Qatar as the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), the Biden administration made a devastating announcement that threatens our nation’s status as an international energy powerhouse. On Jan. 26, President Biden unilaterally halted federal approvals for pending and future applications of LNG export terminals. While this reckless decision was made to appease a radical portion of his political base, the consequences will be far more widespread.

With the stroke of a pen, this uninformed and misguided regulation created uncertainty for American energy producers and added another roadblock for domestic energy production on top of President Biden’s slew of executive orders that have already targeted and harmed American energy. Adding insult to injury, foreign countries will fill the production void left by this decision – leaving American energy workers behind and holding our economy back. Countries like Russia, Qatar, Algeria, and Egypt benefit when the Biden administration intentionally cripples American energy production.

Since his first day in office, President Biden has done everything in his power to attack American energy by gutting our oil and gas industry and ignoring homegrown Iowa biofuels while driving up costs for families in the process.

That’s why I recently voted for the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act to repeal the Biden administration’s de facto ban on domestic LNG exports and signed a letter with several of my colleagues urging President Biden to overturn this egregious mandate before it could negatively impact our energy industry. Regrettably, President Biden has chosen partisan politics over American energy jobs and our national security. He would rather impose his Green New Deal agenda on Iowa families, farmers, and businesses than make our country energy independent again and spur economic growth.

Last year, I also supported the Lower Energy Costs Act to stop the Biden administration’s relentless attacks on American energy so that we can lower gas prices for our families, reduce energy inputs for our farmers, and cut utility costs for our businesses. This legislation would additionally streamline the permitting process for new energy projects, repeal billions in taxes on American energy producers, lift all restrictions on the export of LNG, and allow for oil and gas leases on federal lands. It also includes my amendment – which passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 407 to 26 – to ban China from buying American farmland suitable for domestic energy production, including homegrown Iowa biofuels. Unfortunately, just like many other common sense proposals offered by House Republicans, Senate Democrats continue to obstruct passage of bills that will improve the lives of the American people.

With conflict abroad and rising gas prices at home, it’s vital that we encourage and support American energy production – not saddle our energy producers with red tape and uncertainty that undoubtedly makes energy costlier for American families. As a strong supporter of liquid fuels and American energy dominance, I will continue to call on the Biden administration to repeal its de facto ban on LNG exports and work to lower prices at the pump for our communities.

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Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, represents Iowa’s Fourth District in the U.S. House.