Austin News

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, has submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The brief requests a rehearing or rehearing en banc in the case of City of Port Isabel v. FERC. Senators John Cornyn, John Barrasso, Bill Cassidy, John Kennedy, and Dan Sullivan have joined Sen. Cruz's effort. In the House of Representatives, Congressman Dan Crenshaw co-led the initiative with support from Representatives Steve Scalise, Brian Babin, Michael C. Burgess, Henry Cuellar, Vicente Gonzalez, Wesley Hunt, August Pfluger, and Randy K. Weber.

Senator Cruz emphasized his commitment to employment and economic security in his statement: “I’m proud to lead this bipartisan, bicameral effort. My number one priority in the U.S. Senate is jobs." He expressed concerns about potential job losses and investments in Texas due to a court decision affecting energy projects.

Representative Crenshaw also commented on Texas's energy capabilities: “Texas has the resources to supply the world with clean, affordable LNG.” He criticized decisions that could disrupt future investments as being both short-sighted and "morally indefensible."

The case stems from an August decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that vacated reauthorizations for Rio Grande LNG and Texas LNG projects. This ruling threatens 7,000 jobs and $24 billion in investments in Texas's Rio Grande Valley.

In response to this decision, Senator Cruz has taken further action by sending a letter urging an appeal by the Biden-Harris administration and introducing legislation with Senator Cornyn aimed at protecting LNG permits from being vacated by courts.