U.S. senators Marco Rubio and Bill Cassidy, backed the U.S. Department of Energy’s decision to streamline the approval of small-scale exports of LNG to foreign countries, including those in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

The Trump Administration’s new policy is virtually identical to legislation proposed in October by Rubio and Cassidy, which passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in March with bi-partisan support, senators said in a joint statement.

“This policy, which Sen. Cassidy and I have touted through our Small-Scale LNG Access Act, will boost a growing segment of Florida’s economy as well as expand and strengthen U.S. ties with our Caribbean and Latin American partners,” Rubio said.

The Department of Energy informed that it will automatically approve gas export applications seeking permit to export 51.75 billion cubic feet of exports per year, or below.

To remind, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) have recently agreed to redefine and reduce the permit application review process for the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities.