Texas Border Business
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued the following statement celebrating the Trump administration’s issuance of a license to Delfin LNG, LLC to construct and operate a deepwater port near the border of Texas and Louisiana to export Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from the United States. This project is a major step toward unlocking America’s full energy potential.
Sen. Cruz said, “This project was needlessly delayed by the radical environmentalists in the Biden administration. Getting it approved was a top priority of mine as the leader of the Senate Commerce Committee.I am grateful to see Secretary Duffy follow through on a promise he made to me – and to have directed MARAD and the Coast Guard to complete Delfin’s deepwater port license review post-haste. I am proud to work with President Trump and his administration to support Texas’ robust oil and natural gas industry to and reestablish American energy dominance globally.”
BACKGROUND
Sen. Cruz has long been a leader in unleashing America’s energy potential and protecting America’s traditional energy industry. He called out the previous administration for undermining the oil and gas industry and urged them to expedite the permit process for LNG projects.
In April 2024, Sen. Cruz and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) sent a letter urging for an extension of time to Delfin LNG LLC’s approval to export LNG after the Biden administration’s deference to the radical climate lobby. During the nomination hearing for Sean Duffy to be Secretary of Transportation, Sen. Cruz pointed out the Biden administration’s hostility towards the oil and gas industry, citing the previous administration’s failure to approve deepwater port licenses and asked Secretary Duffy to expedite review of Delfin’s reapplication in Texas.
Sen. Cruz successfully fought to include language in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 that would increase transparency and expedite deepwater port licenses by MARAD.
In February 2023, Sen. Cruz sent a letter to MARAD seeking information about its lengthy delays in reaching decisions on applications for deepwater ports exporting oil and natural gas. The letter also urged MARAD to meet its statutory deadlines to make decisions. At the time, four of the seven pending applications for licenses were for projects located off the coast of Texas.
