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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The United States is the world's largest producer of |
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natural gas, but antiquated trade restrictions limit the potential |
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of this industry as an engine of economic growth; and |
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WHEREAS, In the wake of the 2008-2009 recession, the |
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increasing extraction of natural gas from shale formations helped |
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lift the nation's economy; this type of gas development supported |
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more than 900,000 jobs in 2012, according to a study sponsored by |
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the Chamber of Commerce Institute for 21st Century Energy; the |
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majority of those jobs had been created even as overall |
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unemployment reached some of the highest levels in a generation; |
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the booming economy of Texas, a leader in shale gas and liquid |
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natural gas production, is a testament to the importance of this |
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industry; and |
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WHEREAS, Natural gas exports also play an important |
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geopolitical role; Russia has been the dominant provider of liquid |
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natural gas to European countries, and much of the LNG that they use |
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flows through pipelines that cross Ukraine; recent turmoil there |
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has threatened energy supplies to Europe, prompting efforts to |
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diversify its sources of LNG; and |
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WHEREAS, Currently, an American company can export liquid |
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natural gas only to the limited group of countries with which the |
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United States has existing free trade agreements, unless the firm |
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obtains a license by undergoing an onerous application process |
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through the Department of Energy; the review of LNG export |
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applications has been extremely slow, resulting in costly and |
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unnecessary delays in exports to many of our trading partners; |
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moreover, this barrier contradicts the nation's historic trade |
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policy and inhibits compliance with World Trade Organization rules; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The expansion of natural gas exports to all |
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countries within the World Trade Organization would bring the |
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United States in line with its WTO obligations and build ties with |
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East Asia and other parts of the world; expediting these exports |
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will spur additional investment in new domestic production and |
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increase global supplies of a critical energy source; and |
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WHEREAS, At present, the costly and time-consuming |
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regulatory limitations on the export of natural gas hinder trade |
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expansion and job creation and work against the national security |
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interests of the United States; by ending these constraints and |
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increasing global supplies of a critical energy source, the nation |
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can strengthen its position on the world stage while allowing the |
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energy sector to amplify its vital contributions to economic |
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growth; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress to expedite |
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natural gas exports; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward official copies |
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of this resolution to the president of the United States, to the |
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president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that |
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this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |