Sen. Cruz Accepts Legislator of the Year Award from the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) accepted the Legislator of the Year Award from the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC). During his tenure in the U.S. Senate, Sen. Cruz has been a dedicated champion of policies supporting the upstream oil and gas industry by advocating and leading legislative efforts to promote U.S. energy and strip harmful mandates that undermine American job opportunities and threaten our national security. 

Upon accepting the award, Sen. Cruz said, “The Biden administration’s hostility toward the oil and gas industry raises costs for American families and destroys U.S. jobs. Right here in America, we produce the world’s cleanest energy and have the resources and ability to do so without relying on Russia, Iran, or Venezuela. I am honored to receive this award, and I will continue to defend the merits of drilling on American soil and in American waters.”

BACKGROUND:

• Sen. Cruz worked with industry, EPA and OMB to expedite and finally approve these new regulations allowing for new NPDES permits, effective for a period of five years from May 11, 2023. These permits are essential to maintain domestic energy production, to restrain gas prices from rising even higher, and to allow hard-working Texans to continue going to work for their families and the nation.
• In July, Sen. Cruz secured the passage of an amendment to the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act prohibiting the sale of Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) crude oil to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Sen. Cruz previously introduced similar legislation as the No Emergency Crude Oil for Foreign Adversaries Act in2022 and earlier this year.
• In April and December of 2022, Sen. Cruz successfully negotiated with the administration to approve four major licenses for companies to export liquified natural gas (LNG) abroad in exchange for releasing holds on nominees, altogether allowing for 40 million metric tons of LNG per year to be exported to countries without free trade agreements with the U.S.
• Sen. Cruz has introduced legislation to streamline permitting for all energy development on federal lands and waters, expedite natural gas exports, and partnered with Sen. Manchin to halt the Biden administration’s ban on gas stoves.
• In 2020, Sen. Cruz led the fight to protect America and Texas’s energy producers from Russia and Saudi Arabia who were exploiting the pandemic to flood the global oil market.