The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday, Feb. 8, edition that the political fight is intensifying over the Biden administration's decision to pause new export permits for liquefied natural gas as a coalition of Republican-led states argues that the U.S. clampdown is unlawful. The Globe's Brent Jang writes that West Virginia Attorney-General Patrick Morrisey is co-leading the group of 22 states, asking President Joe Biden and U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to reverse the administration's pause. In their letter sent on Tuesday, the Republican Attorneys-General said the White House and U.S. Energy Department did not cite any statutory authority to outright reject export permits when Mr. Biden announced the LNG restrictions on Jan. 26. The White House is relying on Mr. Biden's executive order that raises fears about climate change, according to the letter by Mr. Morrisey and his state colleagues, who noted that the U.S. is the world's largest LNG exporter. The state Attorneys-General said: "Freezing American LNG exports is a win for Russia and Vladimir Putin. Your administration does not have to recklessly continue down an unlawful path that harms our economic and national security interests."