Federal legislation that would prohibit any federal moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing cleared the U.S. House of Representatives on Feb. 7 and now heads to the U.S. Senate for action.
The Protecting American Energy Production Act, H.R. 26, specifically would prohibit the president from declaring a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing unless one was authorized by Congress. The bill also would express the sense of Congress that states should maintain authority for the regulation of hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas production on state and private lands, according to the bill’s text.
U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA), who on Feb. 4 signed on as a cosponsor of the bill, gave a speech on the House floor in support of the legislation on Feb. 6, saying it would protect one of America’s most vital energy resources from being shut down by ideological policies.
“I represent the Marcellus Shale, one of the largest natural gas producing regions in the world, and Pennsylvania is leading the way in clean, affordable and reliable energy production,” said the congressman. “Natural gas and oil are essential to our way of life, powering our homes, our cars, our manufacturing facilities, and serving as raw materials for countless American-made goods.
“And the entire world is fracking – but we do it best and cleanest here in the USA – so the more natural gas we produce here at home the cleaner the world will become,” Meuser added. “This bill is a serious economic, national security, and environmental vote.”
U.S. Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), who Jan. 3 sponsored the measure, on Friday called H.R. 26 a necessary first step in reversing Biden’s war on energy.
Fracking is a safe, clean, and effective way to produce affordable energy and strengthen national security, said Pfluger, adding that the bill also “advances President Trump’s pro-energy agenda to restore America’s position as the world’s top oil and gas producer.”
U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) agreed with Pfluger, saying House Republicans are putting an end to the Democrats’ war on American energy.
“Passage of the Protecting American Energy Production Act helps restore American energy dominance and protects the jobs of hard-working men and women,” said Johnson. “This bill ensures fracking will remain an essential tool in our nation’s energy production, allowing us to harness regions like the Permian Basin rather than turning to foreign adversaries for our energy needs, and helping to fully unleash America’s energy potential.”
The Permian Basin, a sedimentary basin located in Pfluger’s district in west Texas and in southeastern New Mexico, produces oil and natural gas and is one of the largest basins in North America. The basin has led the way in the shale revolution using fracking and horizontal drilling, according to the congressman.
“I am blessed to represent America’s most prolific oil and gas producing region and am committed to unleashing energy in the Permian Basin this Congress,” he said.
Other Republicans also came out in support of the bill’s approval.
U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson (R-OH) called the House passage of H.R. 26 “a victory for Ohio’s energy producers and the future of American energy dominance.”
“The shale revolution has driven economic growth across Appalachian Ohio, and this legislation safeguards that progress for generations to come,” he said.