Lifting the Ban on Oil Exports Was a Top Legislative Priority
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century today applauded final passage of an omnibus spending bill that included lifting the longstanding ban on oil exports.
“By voting to lift the ban on oil exports, Congress has made it possible to unleash American energy around the world,” said Karen Harbert, president and CEO of the Chamber’s Energy Institute. “Lifting the ban will allow the world to choose a steady, reliable source of energy, and create jobs and boost communities around the nation. We applaud the work of Congressional leaders to understand the importance of this provision and find a way to achieve it.”
Lifting the ban on oil exports was a top legislative priority for the Chamber in 2015. The Chamber and numerous other allies worked for months to educate members of Congress on the importance of lifting the ban. Harbert testified at Congressional hearings and made numerous media appearances to advocate for U.S. oil exports.
The Energy Institute also built a significant coalition of businesses and local and state Chambers of Commerce to build support for lifting the ban, and mobilized hundreds of thousands of grassroots activists across the nation through town hall meetings, speeches, advertising and digital engagement.
“The fact that Iran and Russia can sell oil around the world, but America could not made no sense and was fundamentally unfair,” said Harbert. “Lifting the ban on oil exports is a much-needed step away from our nation’s 1970s energy policy. We’re hopeful that success on this issue will pave the way for common sense regulatory reforms.”
To read more about the Energy Institute’s campaign advocating for lifting the oil export ban, please click here.
The mission of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy is to unify policymakers, regulators, business leaders, and the American public behind a common sense energy strategy to help keep America secure, prosperous, and clean. Through policy development, education, and advocacy, the Institute is building support for meaningful action at the local, state, national, and international levels.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.