WASHINGTON, D.C. — Republicans on Capitol Hill are considering using Ukraine aid as leverage to overturn President Joe Biden’s pause on new natural liquid gas (LNG) export terminals.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is expected to float a proposal for Ukraine aid next week that could advance Ukraine aid in exchange for several concessions, including the reversal of the January decision.

The White House has denied reporting that Biden would be open to such a deal.

“We’ve been really clear that House Republicans should pass the bipartisan national security agreement that already passed with overwhelming support out of the Senate,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a press briefing on April 3. “The President supports the pause on… additional approvals of LNG export licenses to evaluate the economic and climate impacts on consumers and communities.”

On April 9, House Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy, Climate and Grid Security traveled to Port Arthur, Texas—home to the nation’s largest oil refinery—to make their case against the pause on new gas export terminals.

“This rash decision by the Biden administration will have nationwide impacts as it will be detrimental to jobs and economic development in communities like this one that support the U.S. LNG industry,” Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., said at the field hearing.

Community activists in Port Arthur said the pause would allow time to consider the negative impacts of the petroleum industry and how to minimize them.

“Looking at the public interest is important because of frontline community health impacts, national security, climate and consumer impacts because exports are inflationary. Those exports impede the transition off of fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy,” said James Beard, Jr., founder and CEO of the Port Arthur Community Action Network.

LNG supporters countered that a pause could hurt American interests abroad by allowing Russia and other adversaries to supply world energy needs.

“Putin is financing his war against Ukraine with their natural gas and their oil,” said Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, who sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee and chairs the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. “When I met recently and spoke to a conference with quite a few people from different countries, especially from eastern Europe, they all say the same thing: We want American LNG.”

Latta said he would be open to linking Ukraine aid with reversing the LNG pause, depending on the proposal put forth by Republican leadership.

“We have to make sure that we get this thing done. It could help people want to get to that point, to say that yeah, I could support that along with the aid package, it might come along,” Latta said. “But that’s all things that we’ll talk about as a family tomorrow in conference.”