Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham says that the Biden administration's decision to stop approval of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) exports is "nothing more than retaliation" for the state defending its border.
President Joe Biden announced a “temporary pause on pending decisions of Liquified Natural Gas exports” on January 26 — which also happened to be the deadline given by the federal government demanding access to Shelby Park.
Texas has not complied with the deadline demand.
"Texas is the country's largest natural gas exporter and the third largest in the world!" Buckingham posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, in response to the announcement. "This reckless move is nothing more than retaliation against Texas -- for standing up to this administration over the border crisis." Texas is the country's largest natural gas exporter and the third largest in the world!
This reckless move is nothing more than retaliation against Texas -- for standing up to this administration over the border crisis. https://t.co/24zvBElJSC
— Dawn Buckingham (@DrBuckinghamTX) January 26, 2024
Biden claimed the move was to "tackle the climate crisis at home and abroad."
"While MAGA Republicans willfully deny the urgency of the climate crisis, condemning the American people to a dangerous future, my Administration will not be complacent," the announcement read. "We will not cede to special interests."
Tension has been escalating at the border since the Supreme Court ruled that the Biden administration can remove razor wire placed in Shelby Park by the state.
In response, Gov. Abbott issued a statement declaring that the state is being invaded and that he would use the Texas National Guard, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and other agencies to keep it secure. Texas has never backed down from a fight and we’re not looking to start now.
Want our razor wire? Come and take it. pic.twitter.com/oeTc4B0Ew0
— Dawn Buckingham (@DrBuckinghamTX) January 27, 2024
The governor wrote that the Biden administration's failure to "protect each [State] against invasion," as stated in Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution, "has triggered Article I, § 10, Clause 3," which reserves the state's "right of self-defense."
"For these reasons, I have already declared an invasion under Article I, § 10, Clause 3 to invoke Texas's constitutional authority to defend and protect itself," Gov. Abbott declared. "That authority is the supreme law of the land and supersedes any federal statutes to the contrary."
