Former Sen. Pat Toomey: LNG export pause is a 'blatant political move' by the Biden administration

MIKE >> STEVE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>> MEANTIME, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S PLAN TO PAUSE LNG EXPORT APPROVALS AND THAT IS NOW PUTTING ENERGY SECTOR IN THE SPOTLIGHT THIS MORNING FOR STORY, WE BRIN IN PAT TOOMEY AND MARY LANDRIEU, DEMOCRAT FROM LOUISIANA. GOOD MORNING TO BOTH OF YOU. I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY >> YOU THINK >> I DO. THE QUESTION I WOULD ASK YOU AS YOU LOOK AT THE REMARKABLE RISE OF LNG IN THE UNITED STATES DURING THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, FRANKLY UNDER PRESIDENT BIDEN IN TRUTH, AND YOU CAN SAY IN SPITE OF IF YOU LIKE, BUT NONETHELESS BUT I THINK CREDIT IS WHAT IT HAPPENS AND WE CAN DEBATE IT, IS THERE ANY ARGUMENT IN YOUR MIND AT ALL TO SAY WE HAVE COME SO FAR SO FAST THAT THERE IS -- THERE IS A LOOK THAT IS WORTH HAVING AT WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE >> CERTAINLY NOT IF THAT INCLUDES A PAUSE THIS IS RIDICULOUS LET'S BE HONEST. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS SOFT TO THE FAR LEFT OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. FRANK LUNTZ WALKED US THROUGH SOME OF THE SERIOUS POLITICAL PROBLEMS THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN IS FACING AMONG THEM IS A LACK OF ENTHUSIASM AMONG THE MOST LIBERAL MEMBERS OF THEIR COALITION. SO THIS IS A GESTURE TO THEM BUT TO IN ANY WAY THREATEN TO INTERRUPT THE CONTINUING EXPANSION OF LNG EXPORTS IS BAD FOR THE ECONOMY, IT IS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. IT IS BAD FOR NATIONAL SECURITY. THIS IS A NO BRAINER AND MORE LNG EXPORTS HELPS ALL OF THOSE SITUATIONS. SO, PRETTY BLATANT POLITICAL MOVE ON THE PART OF THE ADMINISTRATION. >> IS THERE AN ARGUMENT TO BE MADE THAT IT ISN'T POLITICAL CAN YOU TELL THIS SENATOR WHY YOU THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT DECISION >> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, PAT, GOOD TO SEE YOU, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE SEPARATED BY TECHNOLOGY. BUT LET ME JUST SAY THAT YOU CAN EVALUATE SOMETHING WHILE IT IS GOING ON WE CAN WALK AND CHEW GUM AT THE SAME TIME. THESE EVALUATIONS ARE CONSTANTLY ONGOING ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF NATURAL GAS. AND WHAT SENATOR TOOMEY SAID I AGREE WITH SO MUCH NATURAL GAS IS PART OF THE SOLUTION IT IS NOT THE PROBLEM. AND I'M SERIOUS ABOUT THIS MOST AMERICANS KNOW THIS THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT LOUISIANA AND TEXAS. THIS IS ABOUT OHIO, AND PENNSYLVANIA, AND MICHIGAN AND ILLINOIS, AND NEW YORK THIS IS ABOUT REBUILDING OUR MANUFACTURING BASE IN AMERICA. I THINK THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COUNTERPRODUCTIVE MOVE I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT. MOST PEOPLE I TALK TO BROADLY DON'T UNDERSTAND IT. MANY DEMOCRATS ARE TAKEN BACK BY IT NATURAL GAS IS PART OF THE GLOBAL CLIMATE SOLUTION. IT IS THE ONLY THING AVAILABLE TO REPLACE GLOBAL COAL EMISSIONS, WHICH ARE COUNTING FOR MOST OF THE DAMAGE TO OUR ATMOSPHERE TODAY AND EVERY SCIENTIST KNOWS THIS SO, WHY ARE WE STOPPING IT I'M NOT SURE IT IS NOT HELPING OUR ECONOMY. IT IS GOING TO UNDERMINE THE PRESIDENT'S OWN CLIMATE GOALS AND OUR OWN CLIMATE GOALS, WHICH IS WHY DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS ARE CONCERNED. SO I'M HOPING THEY'LL RECONSIDER >> SO, CAN I ADD ONE ADDITIONAL THING, THE PAUSE IS COMPLETELY INDEFENSIBLE I DON'T GET THE PURPOSE FOR THE REVIEW IN THE FIRST PLACE. TO ME THERE IS AN IMPLIED CONCEIT THERE THAT THE GOVERNMENT SOMEHOW KNOWS WHAT THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF LNG EXPORTS IS CORRECT AMOUNT IS WHATEVER THERE IS DEMAND FOR. IF WE HAD A SUPPLY PROBLEM, LET'S BUILD SOME PIPELINE SO WE CAN BRING MORE TO THE MARKET. >> YOU THINK THIS IS A -- TO CLIMATE ACTIVISTS? >> ABSOLUTELY IT DOES HAVE ONE ACTUAL ADVERSE EFFECT, IT CASTS A CHILL ON INVESTMENT YOU POINTED OUT WE'RE AT RECORD HIGH PRODUCTION AND EXPORTS AND THAT'S TRUE. LET'S BE HONEST, THE DEVELOPMENT THAT GOT US THERE STARTED BEFORE BIDEN TOOK OFFICE. IT TAKES YEARS TO BUILD THESE KIND OF FACILITIES, TO EVEN DO THE PRODUCTION AND CERTAINLY THE PIPELINES, ALL OF IT IS COMPLEX AND TIME CONSUMING >> HE ADMITTED HE'S HEEDING THE CALL OF THE ACTIVISTS. HE'S LISTENED TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WANT TO USE THEIR VOICE FOR ACTIVISM. >> AND THE DANGER IS THAT INVESTORS CONCLUDE THAT, WELL, UNDER DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATIONS WE MIGHT HAVE SOME REAL OBSTACLES TO FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. THAT COULD HAVE A CHILLING EFFECT ON INVESTMENTS. >> YOU TO TDO YOU THINK THERE I CHANCE HE WALKS THIS BACK? >> NOT AT THIS POINT THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF PERSONALLY -- >> THAT'S WHAT I'M WONDERING. >> NO, I THINK THIS IS -- HE'S IN A TERRIBLE POLITICAL SPOT AND HE'S HOPING THIS IS GOING TO HELP HIM A LITTLE BIT WITH AN IMPORTANT SUBSET OF HIS VOTERS >> THIS IS -- YOU THINK THIS IS JUST ABOUT THESE -- SORT OF YOUNGER VOTERS AND TALKING ABOUT THE ENTHUSIASM GAP WITH FRANK LUNTZ. >> THE WHITE HOUSE SAID IT WAS I DIDN'T SAY IT, THE WHITE HOUSE AND THEIR PRESS RELEASE SAID THIS IS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, A GESTURE TO THE LEFT. THE PROBLEM IS WE NEED TO STAY FOCUSED ON JOBS IN AMERICA AND MANUFACTURING BASE AND REBUILDING AND THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON THIS HE PASSED THE I.R.A., THE INFRASTRUCTURE ACT, HE'S INVESTED MORE THAN ANY PRESIDENT AND WITH THE HELP OF CONGRESS AND SOME OF THESE BILLS, BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS, BUT MOSTLY, OF COURSE, DEMOCRATS PASSED THE I.R.A. WHICH TO MY KNOWLEDGE AND I'VE TALKED TO TONS OF PEOPLE ABOUT THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING AND INTERESTING AND EXCITING CLIMATE INITIATIVES THAT IS SPURRING ALL KINDS OF GREAT INVESTMENTS SO, TO STEP ALL OVER HIS WHOLE AGENDA IS WHAT IS SO PUZZLING. THIS IS COMPLETELY COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. WILL HE REVERSE? I DON'T KNOW BUT I THINK CONGRESS MIGHT REVERSE IT I'VE BEEN TALKING ON THE HILL CONSTANTLY SINCE THIS HAPPENED FRIDAY, THERE ARE LOTS OF LEADERS ON THE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN SIDE THAT ARE, LIKE, NO, THIS IS NOT OUR POLICY AND WE HAVE THE RIGHT AS CONGRESS TO MAKE OUR POLICY AS WELL. SO I'M HOPING THAT, YOU KNOW, COOLER HEADS WILL PREVAIL, PEOPLE REALIZE NATURAL GAS IS A SOLUTION IT IS NOT PART OF THE PROBLEM. M PARTICULARLY HWHEN YOU TAKE OUT METHANE LEAKS AND PRODUCTION MANY OF THESE COMPANIES ARE IN HIS AREA, NOT JUST LOUISIANA, THEY'RE IN PENNSYLVANIA AND OHIO SO, I HOPE THAT CONGRESS WILL TAKE A HARD LOOK, SENATOR MANCHIN WILL HAVE A COMMITTEE HEARING, I THINK JEFF DUNCAN, CONGRESSMAN DUNCAN IS GOING TO HAVE A COMMITTEE HEARING NEXT WEEK, AND WE ARE HOPING THAT BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS CAN COME TOGETHER AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS NOT GOING TO WORK, WE HAVE TO REDUCE COAL GLOBALLY AND WE GOT TO GET -- KEEP OUR CLIMATE INITIATIVES BECAUSE SENATOR TOOMEY, EVEN REPUBLICANS ARE STEPPING UP, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE NEED TO MEET GLOBAL EMISSIONS LIKE, YOU KNOW, CONGRESSMAN CURTIS >> WELL, SENATOR TOOMEY, JUST TO PLAY DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, YES, NATURAL GAS IS PART OF THE SOLUTION TO THE DEGREE IT DISPLACES COAL BUT TO THE DEGREE -- THERE IS A BRANDING ISSUE NATURAL GAS SOUNDS LIKE IT IS PURE AND CLEAN IF YOU THINK MORE NATURAL GAS IS FORESTALLING THE TRANSITION, IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE TO GET CLEANER, THAT'S THE ARGUMENT. >> WELL, I WOULD -- I WOULD PUSH BACK ON THAT FIRST OF ALL, SOMETIMES AMERICAN NATURAL GAS DISPLACES, SAY, RUSSIAN NATURAL GAS. WHICH COUNTRY HAS STRICTER STANDARDS ON THE PRODUCTION AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF NATURAL GAS, WE DO. SO EVEN IN THAT TRADE-OFF IT IS BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT BUT I THINK REALISTICALLY WE SHOULD JUST ACKNOWLEDGE WE HAVE HUGE NEED FOR FOSSIL FUELS NOW AND FOR THE INDEFINITE FUTURE AND TO TRY TO ARTIFICIALLY COME IN AND MAN