Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) is celebrating the Trump Administration’s decision to approve Delfin LNG, LLC’s license to construct and operate a deepwater port near the Texas-Louisiana border. He has called it a victory for American energy independence.
“This project was needlessly delayed by the radical environmentalists in the Biden administration,” Senator Cruz said in a statement. “Getting it approved was a top priority of mine as the leader of the Senate Commerce Committee. I am grateful to see Secretary Duffy follow through on a promise he made to me—and to have directed MARAD and the Coast Guard to complete Delfin’s deepwater port license review post-haste,” he added.
“I am proud to work with President Trump and his administration to support Texas’ robust oil and natural gas industry and to reestablish American energy dominance globally.”
RELEASE: I am celebrating the Trump Administration's decision to move forward with the permit for Delfin LNG, a deepwater port near the Texas-Louisiana border. This is a major step to unlock America’s full energy potential. https://t.co/aq2IEADlEa pic.twitter.com/ifBF1XxZTQ
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) March 24, 2025
The approval of Delfin LNG’s license advances liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, a sector Senator Cruz has long championed. During his tenure in office, he has pushed for reforms to expedite deepwater port licenses, arguing that delays have hampered the nation’s ability to compete in global energy markets.
In April 2024, Senator Cruz and Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy (R) urged the Biden administration to extend Delfin LNG’s approval to export LNG, accusing it of bowing to environmental activists. Senator Cruz also pressured Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy during his nomination hearing, highlighting the Biden administration’s failure to approve deepwater port licenses and demanding expedited review for Delfin’s reapplication.
In February 2023, Senator Cruz sent a letter to MARAD seeking answers about excessive delays in approving deepwater ports for LNG exports. His efforts led to successfully including language in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, increasing transparency and expediting license approvals by MARAD.
