House
Speaker Boehner supports ending U.S. oil export ban
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[July 30, 2015]
By Timothy Gardner
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House of
Representatives Speaker John Boehner on Wednesday expressed for the
first time his support for repealing the 40-year-old ban on domestic
crude oil exports, a move that could breathe new life into a bill in his
chamber.
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"Until recently our nation's energy policy was rooted in a
scarcity mindset that went back to the 1970s," Boehner, a
Republican, told reporters. "But now America is experiencing an
energy boom and our policy needs to follow suit."
Boehner said if Iran can return to exporting crude under the deal
the United States and other world powers struck with Tehran this
month over its nuclear program, the United States should not be the
last developed country in the world with a self-imposed ban on oil
exports.
Repealing the U.S. ban would create 1 million jobs, help bring down
gasoline prices for consumers and be good for allies, Boehner said.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Jul/30/images/ads/current/business_directory_filler.png) Supporters of lifting the ban say it could help Eastern Europe
diversify beyond Russia for crude supplies. But some experts have
said doing so would take time, as many European refineries have made
investments to run on Russian oil and as capacity to import U.S.
crude would need to be built.
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U.S. oil producers hope Congress will repeal the trade restriction,
which they say has led to an oil glut that threatens to choke the
drilling boom. A bill introduced this year by Representative Joe
Barton, a Texas Republican, has 110 co-sponsors in the 435-member
chamber.
Boehner said the House would work on wider energy legislation when
it returns after the August recess. It was unclear whether the House
would take up Barton's bill in the fall or perhaps later in the
year.
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