Ricketts Discusses Unleashing American Energy for Strengthening American Diplomacy
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) discussed the role of American energy production in international diplomacy. Ricketts underscored the importance of energy production for success in the competition with Communist China.
“Last month, I hosted a bipartisan tabletop exercise with Senator Coons, simulating a Communist Chinese energy quarantine of Taiwan,” said Ricketts. “That exercise confirmed one of Taiwan’s biggest vulnerabilities, which is energy insecurity. But it’s not just about Taiwan, this is something that applies to all our allies in the region, who are nearly just as vulnerable in relying on seaborne energy imports in such a crisis… The most immediate answer to this problem for us is to increase our exports of LNG. We are the world’s top exporter with clean and reliable gas, it’s already helping our allies replace coal, reduce their emissions, and increase their energy resilience.”
The hearing considered the nominations of Jacob Helberg, to be Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment; Paul Kapur, to be Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs; Andy Puzder, to be Ambassador to the EU; Benjamin Black, to be CEO of DFC; and Howard Brodie, to be Ambassador to Finland.
BACKGROUND:
Earlier this month, Senator Ricketts led a congressional delegation (CODEL) trip to Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue conference with Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). Last month, Senator Ricketts led a congressional delegation trip to Taiwan and the Philippines with Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Ted Budd (R-NC). Senators Ricketts and Coons are working as chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations East Asia Subcommittee to support our allies and partners in the region against Communist China’s aggression, including conducting a recent tabletop exercise and introductions of the PORCUPINE Act and COUNTER Act.