Hoeven: Win on Oil Export Ban Makes America More Secure

The Republican victory in eliminating a 40-year-long oil exports ban will help the country become more "energy secure" and will not only help keep prices low at the pump, but also make the United States less vulnerable to overseas wars, Sen. John Hoeven said Saturday.

"Make no mistake, we are locked in a global battle to determine who will produce oil and gas in the future," the North Dakota Republican, who chairs the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, said in this week's GOP address. "Energy security is a vitally important part of national security."

Last month, Republican leaders agreed in a deal with Democrats to eliminate the decades-long ban through the government's trillion-dollar spending bill, reports The Hill.  In exchange, Congressional Democrats and the White House got an extension of tax breaks on renewable energy.

Getting rid of the ban shows the Republican approach, "which is to empower men and women in all industry sectors to compete by unleashing the entrepreneurial spirit of the American people,” said Hoeven.

He pointed out that on Tuesday, President Barack Obama will give his final State of the Union address, at which time he'll itemize his list of achievements and priorities, but Hoeven called on him to say how he will "unleash the creativity and drive of the American people."

And Republicans, he continued, want to empower Americans to compete and win, which means "reducing the regulatory burden, reforming and simplifying the tax code and getting our fiscal house in order."

Hoeven also called on finding savings and reforms "to reduce the size and scope of government to make sure we don’t leave our kids and grandkids a big debt and deficit."

But even with the oil export ban lifted, OPEC is still working to undermine the U.S. energy industry, Hoeven warned.

"As a consequence of President Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran, this state sponsor of terrorism will now be able to increase its oil exports at a moment when our moderate Sunni allies and their partners feel increasingly threatened by Iranian belligerence," said Hoeven. "As a result, Saudi Arabia has opened the spigot to maintain its own level of exports."

Meanwhile, he said that Americans can compete with anyone, but it is up to the government to build a climate that attracts innovation, investment and jobs.

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