In a letter to all Members of Congress, the Center for Individual Freedom this week joined with a coalition of 20 prominent free-market organizations in urging Congress to repeal the outdated Crude Oil Export Ban.   

The letter, which was organized by Americans for Prosperity, can be read below:

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Free Market Coalition to Congress: Repeal the Crude Oil Export Ban

September 17, 2015

Dear Senators and Representatives,

On behalf of our groups and organizations, together representing millions of Americans, we urge you to end the Crude Oil Export Ban. Repealing this antiquated government mandate will spur economic growth, create hundreds of thousands of jobs, and allow Americans to benefit from affordable and reliable energy.

As a result of an energy crisis in the 1970’s, the United States has kept a ban in place on crude oil exports. This ban has restricted the expansion of the U.S. energy economy, which is thriving and delivering lower-cost energy to consumers. Policymakers should look to unleash the potential of the energy economy instead of limiting it.

Multiple independent studies show that the ban harms U.S. economic growth and job creation.  The National Economic Research Associates (NERA), for example, found that eliminating the export ban would inject between $600 billion and $1.8 trillion into the domestic economy and reduce national unemployment by an average of 200,000 jobs over 2015-2020.

States would benefit from the creation of thousands of new jobs in manufacturing, including steel and cement.  According to a study conducted by IHS Global Inc., higher U.S. oil production resulting from a lifting of the ban would create at its peak 1 million jobs, grow GDP by $135 billion, and increase average household income by $391. A quarter of the employment growth would occur in non-oil producing states, thanks to the petroleum sector’s extensive supply chain.

Critics argue that lifting the ban would increase gasoline prices. However, a recent report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) found that repealing the ban wouldn’t increase gasoline prices and could even lower them. This in turn would provide relief to consumers at the pump.

We encourage members of both chambers of Congress to support legislation that fully lifts the ban on crude oil exports. We would also urge you to reject efforts to use the legislation as a vehicle to extend handouts for green energy such as the wind production tax credit or the solar investment tax credit.

Sincerely,

Brent Gardner, Vice President of Government Affairs, Americans for Prosperity

Phil Kerpen, President, American Commitment

George David Banks, Executive Vice President, American Council for Capital Formation

Sean Noble, President, American Encore

Thomas J. Pyle, President, American Energy Alliance

Coley Jackson, President, Americans for Competitive Enterprise

Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform

Jeffrey Mazzella, President, Center for Individual Freedom

Myron Ebell, Director, Center for Energy and Environment Competitive Enterprise Institute

Marita Noon, Executive Director, Energy Makes America Great

Matt Kibbe, President and CEO, FreedomWorks

George Landrith, President, Frontiers of Freedom

Michael A. Needham, CEO, Heritage Action for America

Andrew Langer, President, Institute for Liberty

Seton Motley, President, Less Government

Harry C. Alford, President/CEO, National Black Chamber of Commerce

Pete Sepp, President, National Taxpayers Union

Andrew Moylan, Executive Director, R Street Institute

David Williams, President, Taxpayers Protection Alliance

Judson Phillips, Founder, Tea Party Nation