Not to be outdone by their House counterparts, Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) are working to establish a natural gas caucus in the Senate, a Landrieu spokesman said.

The announcement came one day after Reps. Tim Murphy (R-PA) and Dan Boren (D-OK) formally launched the House Natural Gas Caucus, but the Senate caucus is not in response to the new House caucus, said Aaron Saunders (see Daily GPI, Oct. 22).

“We’ve been planning this for quite some time,” he told NGI. Saunders further said Landrieu and Chambliss, who will be co-chairs of the Senate caucus, have not yet recruited other senators. That “will come in the coming days and weeks.”

The House caucus currently has approximately 45 members, according to a spokesman for Murphy.

R. Skip Horvath, president of the Natural Gas Supply Association, applauded the creation of a Senate caucus for natural gas. “We’re pleased to see this important bipartisan effort recognizing the unique role natural gas plays in the country’s long-term future.

“Natural gas [is]…produced in 33 states, provides nearly half of all energy consumed by households and businesses and account for four million American jobs. By conservative estimates, we have at least another century’s worth of supply. Natural gas is the key to our country’s energy future.”

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