Congress Moves Toward Lifting Crude Oil Ban, Senate Energy Leads

Congress is moving toward lifting the 40-year old crude oil export ban in both houses, with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee leading the way with the approval of a bill along a party-line vote of 12 to 10 just before the August recess. The committee approved legislation that would end the crude oil export ban on July 30 as part of the Offshore Production and Energizing National Security (OPENS) Act of 2015. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), the chairman...