{"database": "openregs", "table": "congressional_record", "rows": [["CREC-2025-02-07-pt1-PgH561-4", "2025-02-07", 119, 1, null, null, "PROTECTING AMERICAN ENERGY PRODUCTION ACT", "HOUSE", "HOUSE", "ALLOTHER", "H561", "H569", "[{\"name\": \"Bruce Westerman\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Jared Huffman\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"August Pfluger\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Diana DeGette\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Pete Stauber\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Yassamin Ansari\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Robert E. Latta\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Rashida Tlaib\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Glenn Thompson\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Sean Casten\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Lauren Boebert\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Steve Cohen\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Earl L. \\\"Buddy\\\" Carter\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Randy K. Weber, Sr.\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Stephanie I. Bice\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Troy Balderson\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Ami Bera\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Mark DeSaulnier\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Daniel S. Goldman\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Brittany Pettersen\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"119\", \"type\": \"HRES\", \"number\": \"5\"}, {\"congress\": \"119\", \"type\": \"HRES\", \"number\": \"5\"}, {\"congress\": \"119\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"26\"}, {\"congress\": \"119\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"26\"}, {\"congress\": \"119\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"26\"}]", "171 Cong. Rec. H561", "Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 26 (Friday, February 7, 2025)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 26 (Friday, February 7, 2025)]\n[House]\n[Pages H561-H569]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n               PROTECTING AMERICAN ENERGY PRODUCTION ACT\n\n  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 5, I call up\nthe bill (H.R. 26) to prohibit a moratorium on the use of hydraulic\nfracturing, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.\n  The Clerk read the title of the bill.\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gimenez). Pursuant to House Resolution\n5, the bill is considered read.\n  The text of the bill is as follows:\n\n                                H.R. 26\n\n       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of\n     the United States of America in Congress assembled,\n\n     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.\n\n       This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting American Energy\n     Production Act''.\n\n     SEC. 2. PROTECTING AMERICAN ENERGY PRODUCTION.\n\n       (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that\n     States should maintain primacy for the regulation of\n     hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas production on\n     State and private lands.\n       (b) Prohibition on Declaration of a Moratorium on Hydraulic\n     Fracturing.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the\n     President may not declare a moratorium on the use of\n     hydraulic fracturing unless such moratorium is authorized by\n     an Act of Congress.\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill shall be debatable for 1 hour,\nequally divided and controlled by the majority leader and the minority\nleader, or their respective designees.\n  The gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentleman from\nCalifornia (Mr. Huffman) each will control 30 minutes.\n  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.\n\n                             General Leave\n\n  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members\nmay have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks\nand include extraneous material on H.R. 26.\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the\ngentleman from Arkansas?\n  There was no objection.\n  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may\nconsume.\n  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 26, the Protecting\nAmerican Energy Production Act.\n  H.R. 26, introduced by Congressman Pfluger, would prevent any\nPresident from issuing a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing while also\nestablishing a sense of Congress that States should regulate the\npractice on State and private land.\n  Hydraulic fracturing has been around for nearly 100 years. With other\nadvancements in the industry, such as horizontal drilling, hydraulic\nfracturing has become a staple of the oil and gas industry. The\npractice has propelled the United States to energy superpower status.\nIn fact, fracking in the United States provides 64 percent of American\ncrude oil and 78 percent of the country's natural gas.\n  This surge in supply has contributed to lower energy prices for\nconsumers, stimulated economic and job growth, and improved the quality\nof life for Americans.\n  In truth, a ban on hydraulic fracturing would devastate the American\neconomy while surrendering world energy leadership to adversary nations\nwith large oil and gas reserves, such as Russia, Iran, Venezuela, and\nChina.\n  Federal efforts to regulate fracking, which is adequately regulated\nby the States, could have an equally detrimental impact. The Energy\nPolicy Act of 2005 clarified that Congress never intended the Federal\nGovernment to regulate fracking under the Safe Drinking Water Act.\n  There is even precedent from the courts to not allow the Federal\nGovernment to regulate fracking. In the Obama administration, the\nBureau of\n\n[[Page H562]]\n\nLand Management attempted to regulate the practice for Federal lands\nand minerals, but the courts correctly threw out the effort. In the\ndecision, the judge clearly stated: ``Congress has not delegated to the\nDepartment of the Interior the authority to regulate hydraulic\nfracturing. The BLM's effort to do so through the fracking rule is in\nexcess of its statutory authority and contrary to the law.''\n  States regulate fracking, and each has comprehensive laws and\nregulations to provide for safe operations, protect drinking water\nsources, and ensure effective regulations of oil and gas exploration\nand production.\n  This bill would prevent future administrations from implementing a\nunilateral fracking ban and express Congress' sense that States should\nmaintain regulatory authority over fracking on State and private lands.\n  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this\nimportant piece of legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.\n  Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may\nconsume.\n  Madam Speaker, I welcome everyone to the first installment of House\nRepublicans' fulfillment of their misguided, billionaire-funded, pro-\npolluter, drill, baby, drill agenda.\n  I like Valentine's Day as much as anyone. I don't mean to be cynical,\nbut what I don't do is introduce empty love letters to polluting\nindustries masquerading as legislation. That is what we are here to do\ntoday. This bill we are considering is one massive letter to Big Oil\nsigned by the House GOP.\n  Meanwhile, Americans are grappling with the actual fallout from the\nWhite House's unconstitutional, illegal freeze on Federal funding\nacross dozens of agencies and tariffs on our allies that will increase\nenergy costs and inflation.\n  Instead of addressing all of these things, we are here today with a\nlittle love letter for Valentine's Day from House Republicans to Big\nOil.\n  H.R. 26, the Protecting American Energy Production Act, pretends to\nban Presidential fracking bans. Let me be clear: This bill is a\nsolution in search of a nonexistent problem. President Trump is not\ngoing to ban fracking. President Biden didn't ban fracking. No\nPresident, past or present, has banned fracking.\n  Of course, now we do have President Trump. Democrats are not election\ndeniers. We acknowledge that President Trump won the election. He is\nour President, and he loves fracking. Who are we kidding by passing\nthis bill pretending to stop him from banning fracking?\n  If Republicans really want to push back on Presidential power and\nassert congressional rights, that would be interesting. We would love\nto work with Republicans on something like that.\n  We could start with the fact that President Trump has unleashed his\nunelected buddy, billionaire Elon Musk, to do all kinds of things in\nthe first few weeks of his administration that ought to offend the\nsensibilities of the Article I branch of government, like blocking\nfunds lawfully enacted by Congress that should be helping hardworking\nfamilies and protecting communities from wildfires and droughts; firing\ncivil servants working on behalf of the country and inspectors general\ncharged with rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse; attacking civil\nrights and disability protections that Congress enacted into law; and\nattempting to abolish USAID, an agency that might not be familiar to\nmany Americans but is incredibly important to American interests. It\nadvances U.S. global leadership all over the world and counters the\nmalign influence of Russia and China.\n  We are here on the House floor to give Republicans a stage to gush\nover the oil and gas industry. This is political theater at its worst.\nInstead of addressing real crises like the climate crisis or the\ncrushing cost of living for American families, Republicans are wasting\neveryone's time banning imaginary fracking bans, claiming it will\nsomehow lower costs for communities and small businesses, but it won't.\n\n  What we are about to see is Republicans previewing their undying\ndevotion and the many favors they are going to offer to Big Oil in the\nmonths to come. Let's review a couple of facts. The United States is\nalready the largest producer of oil in the world. We are producing more\noil and gas than ever before. In fact, we are producing more than any\ncountry in history.\n  What do we have to show for it? How is that working out for us? We\nare still facing volatile energy prices because we are exporting record\namounts of fossil fuel and because fossil fuels are global commodities\nvulnerable to international price shocks. The fossil fuel industry will\ndo whatever it takes to make the most money, even if that is exporting\nits products in ways that increase costs for American consumers.\n  There is a cost to this industry joyride. Communities living near\nthis record-breaking production are bearing the brunt of fossil fuel\npollution, and their health and well-being are paying the price.\n  The United States should be leading the way to a new, cleaner future.\nInstead, we are drilling deeper into this catastrophe.\n  It is not as if Big Oil is hurting right now. The oil and gas\nindustry enjoys $15 billion in subsidies from American taxpayers each\nyear, and that is just the direct handouts. When you factor in health\nand environmental impacts because taxpayers pick up the tab for all of\nthat, the United States spends $757 billion propping up the fossil fuel\nindustry every single year.\n  What do we get in return for all of this generosity? It sure seems\nlike unrequited love because Big Oil has been colluding illegally with\nforeign cartels to purposely drive up gas prices for American\nconsumers, increasing inflation and padding their pockets along the\nway.\n  Big Oil doesn't need any more favors. What it needs is to be held\naccountable. That didn't stop President Trump from asking for a billion\ndollars from the oil and gas industry during the campaign.\n  We are going to see Big Oil billionaires ask for more tax breaks and\nderegulation every day for the next two Congresses, but this bill is\nparticularly absurd. If nothing else, the debate over this love letter\nto Big Oil makes one thing clear: House Republicans are more interested\nin passing love notes to Big Oil than in holding Big Oil accountable.\n  During the fracking process, oil and gas companies inject a high-\npressure mixture of water, sand, and toxic chemicals into the ground to\nextract fossil fuels. It is a dirty business, yet for years, there have\nbeen loopholes around it to boost the industry's profits even further\nwhile leaving communities vulnerable to pollution.\n  I will highlight some examples. All industries, if they want to\ninject toxic pollutants underground, have to comply with the Safe\nDrinking Water Act. This makes sure that drinking water resources and\npublic health are protected, which fracking is not. Fracking companies\naren't subject to the Safe Drinking Water Act regulations. They don't\nhave to disclose any of the toxic chemicals that could seep into your\ndrinking water.\n\n                              {time}  0930\n\n  Another example: Under the Clean Air Act, we can aggregate smaller\nnearby sources of pollution that can be regulated together to protect\npublic health. That is something the Clean Air Act does that applies to\nall other industries but not from oil and gas development. They have a\nspecial exception.\n  Now, what about the Clean Water Act? Well, that has provisions to\nprevent polluted stormwater runoff from contaminating water sources,\nexcept if that runoff comes from oil and gas facilities.\n  These are just a few of the loopholes that this industry enjoys,\nloopholes that have real impacts on public health, especially\nchildren's health.\n  Studies have found that exposure to fracking and associated chemicals\ncan lead to low birth weight for babies, preterm births, congenital\nabnormalities, asthma, and even certain childhood cancers.\n  We should be able to agree that protecting children from these\nimpacts and ensuring that communities have clean air to breathe and\nclean water to drink should be our priorities, not sending love letters\nto Big Oil.\n  Unfortunately, this bill and the many other giveaways that are going\nto be coming our way in this Congress will not protect these\ncommunities.\n\n[[Page H563]]\n\n  Madam Speaker, I strongly oppose this legislation, and I reserve the\nbalance of my time.\n  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may\nconsume.\n  Fracking has been challenged. It has been challenged by the Biden\nadministration, and fortunately, the courts stepped in and said that\nyou can't regulate fracking to the BLM. If you look at what our\nabundant clean supply of natural gas in the United States has done, it\nhas allowed us to reduce emissions more than any country in the world.\n  We produce the cleanest, most reliable gas in the world with a 40\npercent cleaner carbon footprint than what Russia produces. Natural gas\nnot only provides jobs and energy here at home, but it can be a source\nof national security to help bolster our partners around the world.\n  We are blessed with natural gas from the Permian Basin in west Texas\nand New Mexico to the Marcellus and Utica shale plays in Pennsylvania,\nOhio, and New York. I believe those two combined are the largest\nnatural gas field in the world.\n  We have a tremendous resource that we can use to do many good things,\nand if fracking were banned, that resource goes away.\n  Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr.\nPfluger), the lead sponsor of the bill.\n  Mr. PFLUGER. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for bringing this\nbill to the floor. The American public spoke loud and clear on November\n5. They said energy was on the ballot. They said that the hilarity and\nthe fraudulent approach that the Biden administration took towards\nenergy policy was wholly rejected.\n  Madam Speaker, we are in a new day and thank goodness we are. I\nrepresent the Permian Basin, Midland and Odessa, Texas, and for 4\nyears, this community was demonized, demonized, by the President,\ndemonized by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, demonized\nfor the work that they did to bring affordable, reliable energy to this\ncountry. They did so with an all-out assault.\n  I am proud today to support my legislation, H.R. 26, the Protecting\nAmerican Energy Production Act. This is on behalf of every one of my\nconstituents in Midland and Odessa, Texas, who provide the very pen\nthat is being used by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, who\nprovide the cell phones and the cosmetics and the personal protective\ngear that goes into an emergency room. They are not just using liquid\nfuels, but using a safe technology, hydraulic fracturing, which was\ncompletely falsely characterized briefly this morning by my colleague\non the other side of the aisle.\n  In 2019, America became the number one oil and gas producer, and it\nis wholly in part due to the shale revolution and the technology of\nbeing able to environmentally friendly extract this product and produce\nit here domestically for our use and to ship it to our allies and our\npartners around the world.\n  After 4 years of the previous administration's outright assault on\nAmerican energy, it is critical now that we codify and that we work\ntirelessly to restore some integrity and some character to this\nAmerican energy dominance and pass meaningful legislation that will\nunleash American energy and create jobs for hardworking Americans.\n  My legislation that is being considered today is a necessary first\nstep in reversing the Biden administration's war on energy and\npreventing the Federal Government from banning the use of hydraulic\nfracturing.\n  Fracking is safe. It is clean. It is an effective way to produce\naffordable energy and to strengthen our national security. By ensuring\nits continued use, we can reestablish our global energy leadership. We\ncan keep costs low for consumers, every consumer, and we can drive\nfurther technological advancements in the industry.\n  This bill advances President Trump's rightful position, his pro-\nenergy, pro-American outlook on energy, to restore our position as the\ntop producer in the world. Instead of allowing Russia, Iran, and\nVenezuela to do so, we are going to produce it here.\n  I thank my constituents for the fact that even though you were\ndemonized, even though you were made to feel like you weren't doing\nsomething that was worthwhile, you did. You stood up, and you did it in\nthe face of adversity.\n  Even at the end of the campaign season in 2024, then-candidate for\nPresident Kamala Harris in a debate said that she was pro-fracking. So\nit is hard to believe that anybody would actually vote against this\nlegislation today because that was the platform of my colleagues on the\nother side of the aisle.\n  Today is an opportunity to bring us together, Republicans and\nDemocrats, to codify what we both know has been a major advancement.\n  It is time to end the bans and unleash our lands. It is time to come\ntogether. I am proud to work with our colleagues on the other side of\nthe aisle because I know this will be a bipartisan bill. I know that\nthere will be many Democrats who vote for this. I am glad that we can\ndo this.\n\n  I thank the chairman for bringing H.R. 26 to the floor. I fully\nsupport it, and I urge my colleagues to also support it.\n  Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from\nColorado (Ms. DeGette).\n  Ms. DeGETTE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the\nProtecting American Energy Production Act.\n  Now, as a Coloradan from an energy-producing State, I don't oppose\nfracking, and frankly, opposition to fracking is not in the Democratic\nagenda. However, I think we can all agree that fracking must be done\nsafely and with transparency.\n  This bill would allow natural gas producers to keep abusing loopholes\nthat allow them to hide dangerous chemical components in their fracking\nfluid, and that is something I don't think any of us should support.\n  Having served as the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce\nSubcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security in the last\nCongress, I have worked closely on this issue for many years. I have\nintroduced legislation that would ensure that our communities would be\nsafe from the dangerous chemicals that are often used in fracking\nfluid.\n  Fracking releases thousands of harmful chemicals that poison our\ndrinking water and pollute our air, including hydrogen sulfide, which\ncauses nausea, vomiting, and headaches; benzene, a known carcinogen;\ntoxic metals; acids; and even diesel fuel.\n  A significant number of scientific studies prove negative health\neffects like cancers, asthma, and birth complications are caused by\nfracking chemicals. These chemicals particularly affect the most\nvulnerable in our society, including children, people who are pregnant,\nthe elderly, lower-income communities, and communities of color.\n  For example, those who gave birth while living near a fracking site\nhad children who are two to three times more likely to be diagnosed\nwith leukemia between the ages of 2 and 7 than those who were not\nexposed.\n  For older adults, a study found that living near fracking sites in\nPennsylvania during its so-called fracking boom between 2002 and 2015\nwere more likely to be hospitalized for cardiovascular disease than\nthose in neighboring States where fracking was banned.\n  What complicates our ability to regulate these hazardous chemicals is\nthat only in retrospect can we assess the damage that is being done in\nthe name of oil and gas production.\n  It was just 2 years ago that scientists were able to conclude the\nextent of harm caused by the fracking fluid in 2016, that was almost 10\nyears ago.\n  A study found it caused 410,000 asthma flare-ups; 2,200 new cases of\nchildhood asthma; and 7,500 excess deaths, costing $77 billion in\nhealth impacts.\n  Now, these examples are only a drop in the bucket.\n  We don't even have accurate numbers of just how many Americans are\naffected because the law prioritizes polluters over people by\nprotecting the exact chemical makeup of fracking fluid that fracking\ncompanies call ``proprietary information.''\n  It has been proven that fracking chemical disclosure requirements\nlead to significant declines in the use of hazardous chemicals and\nbetter water quality.\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Malliotakis). The time of the\ngentlewoman has expired.\n\n[[Page H564]]\n\n  Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from Colorado an\nadditional 30 seconds.\n  Ms. DeGETTE. Madam Speaker, there have been significant declines in\nthe use of hazardous chemicals and better water quality.\n  Rather than passing this bill, which only protects oil and gas\nproducers, we should require more transparency to the public.\n  Families shouldn't have to choose between their health and their\nhouse just because it is close to a drilling site.\n  I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation and work in a\nbipartisan way to make sure that where we do fracking it is done\nsafely.\n  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may\nconsume.\n  The benefits that clean American energy, reliable, affordable energy,\nhas on health benefits are too numerous to even get into in a\ndiscussion here today. It saves lives not just in providing energy and\nheat but in providing the many materials that are made from oil and gas\nin the United States.\n  Even the Obama administration's EPA found that fracking has no\n``widespread systemic impacts on drinking water resources in the United\nStates.'' No evidence has arisen that the practice is dangerous, and to\nsay anything else is simply fear-mongering and pandering to the radical\nleft that would rather rely on Iran, Russia, and Venezuela for energy.\n  Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr.\nStauber).\n  Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 26, this\nbipartisan Protecting American Energy Production Act, which will pass\nthe House.\n  Just 20 years ago, we were afraid we were nearing the end of U.S. oil\nand gas production, then came hydraulic fracturing and the beginning of\nthe shale revolution.\n  Hydraulic fracturing brought energy security to Americans and made\nthe United States an energy exporter for the first time just a few\nyears ago.\n  With hydraulic fracturing, we are increasing our economic and our\nnational security while also increasing the economic and national\nsecurity of our closest allies.\n  For every barrel of oil that we export, we are displacing a dirtier\nbarrel of oil produced by adversarial nations. Thanks to hydraulic\nfracturing, our energy supply continues to get cleaner.\n  My colleagues on the other side of the aisle will likely argue today\nthat this bill is a solution in search of a problem. They will ask: Why\nare we doing this if the Trump administration doesn't plan on banning\nfracking?\n\n  Frankly, Madam Speaker, this bill isn't about this administration, it\nis an insurance policy to protect against future anti-oil, anti-gas,\nand anti-American energy administrations.\n  We are coming off the tail end of the most anti-oil and -gas and\nanti-traditional energy administration in this Nation's history, and I\nam afraid that this was just a preview of what could happen down the\nline.\n  That is why we are acting today. We are voting to protect Americans'\naccess to reliable, affordable, and clean American energy no matter\nwhich President is in the White House.\n  We need to unlock our energy awesomeness. We need to continue our\nprogress on energy.\n  Madam Speaker, just a few minutes ago, my colleague across the aisle\ntalked about clean, affordable, reliable energy. I want to remind my\ncolleagues that I live in northern Minnesota. Last week it was 40\ndegrees below, and we just had to turn on the heat, which is natural\ngas. I didn't have to worry about my six children--the youngest being\n3--being frozen to death, or my pipes freezing.\n\n                              {time}  0945\n\n  I didn't have to worry about my mother, who is 90 years old, and my\nfather, who is 91, freezing in 40 degrees below zero turning up the\nheat with clean, affordable, and reliable energy.\n  I have no idea why my colleagues on the other side of the aisle\nwouldn't support this bipartisan legislation for American energy,\nAmerican technology, and American workers.\n  Madam Speaker, I support this legislation.\n  Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may\nconsume.\n  Madam Speaker, it is interesting. I hear my colleague from Minnesota\nsaying that he is interested in constraining Presidential power, just\nnot this President, and apparently only when it applies to Presidents\nwho might go against the interests of Big Oil. I guess at least there\nis some semblance of interest in defending Article I, but it is a\npretty twisted remnant of what should be Congress' Article I authority.\n  If we really want to work on constraining Presidential power, there\nis a lot we could do together. Right now this administration is\nillegally blocking funds enacted by Congress to help hardworking\nAmericans, funding meant for wildfire management and water\ninfrastructure projects at a time when communities in California are\nstill reeling from disaster. Instead, we are debating this.\n  This administration has fired inspectors general from at least 18\nFederal agencies without warning and without explanation in clear\nviolation of the law which requires 30 days' notice to Congress and a\nsubstantive explanation. There was a time when Members of both parties\nwould be furious over a flouting of the law like that. However, today\nit doesn't seem to matter to our colleagues across the aisle.\n  These independent watchdogs exist for one purpose: To prevent waste,\nfraud, and abuse and to hold Presidential power in check, working\nclosely with Congress. Apparently that doesn't matter anymore.\n  We know the administration is actively trying to abolish USAID, a\nnonpartisan agency established by Congress which supports nutrition and\nother basic humanitarian assistance all over the world for people who\nneed it. We know that NOAA could be next on the chopping block, a\nscience-based agency that people all over this country depend on every\nday to get weather alerts and to save lives. However, we are on the\nfloor debating this love letter to Big Oil instead of standing up for\nCongress' Article I authority and holding Presidential power in check.\n  Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Phoenix,\nArizona (Ms. Ansari).\n  Ms. ANSARI. Madam Speaker, today, I rise in strong opposition to H.R.\n26. My constituents sent me to Congress to fight for them for clean\nwater, clean air, job security, and lower prices. This legislation\naccomplishes absolutely none of those things.\n  H.R. 26 says that the President cannot issue a ban on fracking unless\nauthorized by Congress.\n  It is obviously a little bit ridiculous that President Trump is not\ngoing to ban fracking. In fact, no President has ever banned fracking.\nWhat this bill is, is just an opportunity for some House Republicans to\nsignal their support for their Big Oil allies and their billionaire\nfriends.\n  The United States is already producing more oil than ever, more than\nany other country in history. Republicans' dirty drilling agenda will\nnot make America any more energy dominant, and it won't drive prices\ndown.\n  If we could drill our way out of the affordability crisis, then we\nwould have already done so. The answer is not more oil. When we drill\nmore and more, the only ones who benefit are those at the top, the\nCEOs, the multinational corporations, and the already rich billionaires\nwho are profiting off of the American people.\n  In fact, several Federal Trade Commission complaints and class action\nlawsuits from last year say that Big Oil CEOs have been illegally\ncolluding with each other and with some of our adversaries to keep\nprices high and profits up. Big Oil is already getting at least $15\nbillion in subsidies from the Federal Government.\n  What more could they possibly want? This dirty drilling agenda has\nnever been about lowering costs. Less than 3 weeks in, this\nadministration's true colors are already shining. After promising lower\nprices for everyday Americans, the President is threatening a trade war\nwith our closest allies which will drive up the costs to produce\neverything from energy to cars to technology. The administration is\nthreatening mass deportations of people who are part of the workforce\nand contributing to our economy, and the Republican-led Congress is\nplotting how to cut spending on healthcare and clean\n\n[[Page H565]]\n\nenergy in order to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.\n  Madam Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R.\n26.\n  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from\nOhio (Mr. Latta).\n  Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 26, the\nProtecting American Energy Production Act, to prevent a ban on the use\nof hydraulic fracturing.\n  The shale revolution has unleashed American innovation, specifically\nhydraulic fracturing, and has led to the U.S. becoming an energy\nsuperpower, stabilizing global markets and lowering prices for\nconsumers, farmers, and manufacturers.\n  In 2019, economists estimated this productivity reduced the domestic\nprice of natural gas by 63 percent and led to a 45 percent decrease in\nthe wholesale price of electricity. This resulted in an estimated\nsavings of $203 billion annually for American consumers.\n  Unfortunately, some States have implemented misguided policies to ban\nor limit the use of fracking. It is imperative we protect this\ntechnology from weaponization, especially as global energy demand is\nprojected to skyrocket.\n  Additionally, natural gas will be essential to ensuring our ability\nto meet the massive energy demand from the data centers coming online\nand lead the world in artificial intelligence development. More\nAmerican energy means a safer, cleaner, and more advanced world.\n\n  In the last Congress, I asked every witness who came before us in the\nCommittee on Energy and Commerce's Energy Subcommittee if we needed\nmore energy or less, and every one of them said that we have to have\nmore energy.\n  Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas' 11th District for\nhis leadership. I ask my colleagues to support this legislation. I\nthank my friend, the chairman, for yielding the time.\n  Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may\nconsume.\n  Madam Speaker, do you know what is bad for energy prices here in the\nUnited States? This LNG export bonanza that my friends across the aisle\nsupport that President Trump is unleashing with one of his executive\norders restarting LNG exports to non-free trade agreement countries.\nUnconstrained exports of LNG could increase wholesale domestic natural\ngas prices here in the United States by over 30 percent. Households\ncould pay $100 more per year by midcentury, and congressional\nRepublicans are threatening to repeal clean energy tax credits which\ncould result in a 10 percent jump in electricity costs. Let's not kid\neach other about who cares about energy prices for American consumers.\n  Madam Speaker, I yield 2\\1/2\\ minutes to the gentlewoman from\nMichigan (Ms. Tlaib).\n  Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, this is just the latest in a long line of\nloopholes and handouts for Big Oil executives to get richer as the rest\nof us suffer.\n  Fracking is practically unregulated at the Federal level because 20\nyears ago then-Vice President Dick Cheney, the former CEO of\nHalliburton, inserted a loophole into the Energy Act of 2005,\nexplicitly exempting fracking chemicals from EPA regulation under the\nSafe Drinking Water Act.\n  Think about that, Madam Speaker. That means that the oil and gas\nindustry doesn't need to disclose any of the toxic chemicals that are\nseeping into our drinking water. Halliburton, of course, is one of the\nlargest oil and gas companies in the world and also just happens to be\nbehind most of the major fracking worldwide.\n  For the last 20 years, we have been stuck with the so-called\nHalliburton loophole, a terrible reminder of the revolving door of oil\nmoney in politics and how Big Oil buys its way into the Halls of\nCongress and the White House every single day. In fact, our new\nSecretary of Energy is the founder and former CEO of Liberty Energy,\nanother fracking company.\n  Moreover, the Halliburton loophole isn't the only giveaway that\nfracking benefits from. Under the Clean Water Act, there are provisions\nto prevent polluted stormwater runoff from contaminating our waters\nunless--there is an exemption--the runoff comes from oil and gas\ndevelopment facilities.\n  Republicans want to give an even bigger handout to Big Oil with this\ntoxic legislation. They are sending the message to communities all\nacross the country, our residents, that corporate polluters' profits\nare more important than their health and their own drinking water. It\nis clear that they are doing this because it has been polluters over\npeople for Republicans 20 years ago, and it is polluters over people\nnow.\n  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote against this\nenvironmental destruction and protect our drinking water that is in\ncrisis right now throughout our country.\n  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I think a lot of the general public\ndoesn't realize that natural gas goes into a lot more than just\nproducing energy but it is, in essence, the main ingredient in\nagriculture, and it is the main ingredient that can help lower our food\nprices as most fertilizer is made from natural gas. When we have\nabundant, affordable natural gas, then that means we have more abundant\nand affordable fertilizer so that we can grow more crops and keep\nprices low.\n  Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania\n(Mr. Thompson), who is the chairman of the Agriculture Committee and\nwho has seen firsthand the benefits of fracking in the Marcellus shale.\n  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for\nyielding me time.\n  Absolutely, living in the heart of Marcellus and Utica shale, I have\nseen hydrofracking actually evolve and improve with the technology\nbecoming environmentally friendly. My friends who would argue against\nit obviously have not had the opportunity to spend any time with it.\n  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 26, the Protecting\nAmerican Energy Production Act. This legislation will ensure that we\ndeliver on our promise to Americans to lower energy costs and end the\nwar that the previous administration waged on our domestic energy\nproduction.\n  I have witnessed firsthand how fracking or hydrofracking has\nrevitalized communities, created countless jobs, and strengthened our\nenergy independence since the discovery of the Marcellus shale and the\nUtica shale in Pennsylvania. Across my district, this industry has been\na lifeline, bringing economic prosperity where it once was scarce.\n\n  Fracking has transformed Pennsylvania into a national leader in\nenergy production, unlocking vast reserves of natural gas that power\nour homes, fuel our businesses, and drive down our energy costs. Across\nthe Commonwealth, once struggling communities are thriving again.\n  Small businesses flourish as demand for goods and services surges,\nand thousands of hardworking men and women who depend on energy\nproduction for family-sustaining wages are planting roots and investing\nin these communities.\n  Beyond local benefits, the energy boom we will experience under the\nTrump administration's America First policies will strengthen our\nposition on the world stage. By tapping into our domestic resources, we\nreduce reliance on foreign energy, bolstering national security and\nstabilizing global markets. American natural gas significantly reduces\ncarbon emissions compared to foreign production, proving that economic\ngrowth and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.\n  Despite these undeniable benefits, out-of-touch politicians have\nsought to ban or heavily restrict this essential industry.\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.\n  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the\ngentleman.\n  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. A prohibition on fracking would\ndevastate rural America, wiping out jobs, reducing tax revenues, and\ndriving up energy costs for working families.\n  Madam Speaker, we cannot allow misguided policies to erase the\nprogress we have made. That is why I urge my colleagues to support the\nProtecting American Energy Production Act before us today which will\nensure the long-term stability of fracking for years to come.\n\n[[Page H566]]\n\n  Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from\nIllinois (Mr. Casten).\n  Mr. CASTEN. Madam Speaker, we are in a constitutional crisis. The\nPresident of the United States is trying to delete the 14th Amendment,\nignoring Congress' constitutional power of the purse to illegally block\nFederal spending, exposing the identities of our intelligence officers\nto our enemies, and sending Elon Musk's unvetted minions into our\nfinancial systems to steal Americans' private information.\n  In the normal course, these violations would be prosecuted by the\nDepartment of Justice, but their leadership has put personal politics\nover the rule of law. In the normal course, Congress would act as a\ncheck and balance, but Republican leadership in both Chambers is most\ncharitably described as missing in action. We are only 19 days in.\n  The White House is now dismantling USAID, pulling back on our soft\npower at the precise moment when China and Russia are trying to\nincrease their influence over global affairs.\n  Is this because of social media conspiracies, foreign influence\noperations, or just because Elon Musk is still angry that USAID helped\nto topple apartheid in South Africa? There are no good answers to that\nquestion.\n\n                              {time}  1000\n\n  They are targeting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric\nAdministration, stripping our ability to make weather forecasts in the\nwake of rising seas, surging hurricanes, and ever more devastating\nwildfires. Take away our ability to give advance notice of those\nstorms, and Americans will die.\n  They are opposing competitive markets, as they refuse to enact\nexisting laws to build out EV charging networks and renewable energy\nbecause my colleagues on the other side of the aisle know that to do so\nwould be to bring resources onto our system that would further erode\nthe market share of more expensive and dirtier energy.\n  Madam Speaker, they have now stolen data from the Treasury Department\nfiles so that Elon Musk, a man who gives Nazi salutes and actively\ncampaigns for the neo-Nazi party in Germany, can access personal\ninformation that could potentially be used to target his political\nenemies. This is the very foundation of fascism, all of which leaves us\nin this Chamber with a choice.\n  As we sit here on the fulcrum of history, we can act to make these 19\ndays a footnote to an otherwise noble history of these United States,\nor we can go to our graves knowing that we did nothing during the 19\ndays that forever destroyed this 250-year-old experiment.\n  We can choose evil in this moment. We can choose to ignore everything\nthat Jesus preached in the Sermon on the Mount as we persecute the meek\nso we can enrich the merciless.\n  We can choose cowardice.\n  We can give $1 to a homeless man on the way to work so we can take\naway hundreds of millions of dollars from housing assistance once we\nget there, telling ourselves that to do anything else would be to cause\nour seat to be filled by a less compassionate soul.\n  We can decide that if we aren't in leadership, then our job is just\nto follow orders. Sometimes that excuse works. It didn't at Nuremberg.\n  There is no difference between any of those choices. They all lead to\nthe same outcome.\n  For this reason, I will be offering a fourth option. At the\nappropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to\ncommittee.\n  If the House rules permitted, I would have offered this motion with\nan important amendment to this bill to say that it shall not take\neffect until the illegal freeze of taxpayer dollars that Congress\nappropriated to the Department of the Interior, the National Oceanic\nand Atmospheric Administration, and other agencies has stopped; civil\nrights and employment protections for nonpartisan Federal public\nservants are restored; and DOGE and billionaires like Elon Musk no\nlonger have unlawful access to Federal Government systems and the\nprivate, sensitive data of taxpaying Americans.\n  Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my\namendment into the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion\nto recommit.\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the\ngentleman from Illinois?\n  There was no objection.\n  Mr. CASTEN. Madam Speaker, that motion is a chance for all of my\ncolleagues to choose leadership, to choose patriotism, to choose to\nhonor the oath that we all took to the Constitution, to be remembered\nand honored by future generations, and, in the words of William F.\nBuckley, to stand athwart history and yell stop.\n  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\\1/2\\ minutes to the\ngentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).\n  Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for bringing this\nbill to the floor. I also thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger)\nfor being the lead sponsor on this bill.\n  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Protecting American Energy\nProduction Act. This bill would protect American oil and natural gas\nproduction by preventing any President from declaring a moratorium on\nhydraulic fracturing.\n  Joe Biden waged an all-out war 4 years ago on American energy\nproduction. Shutting down the Keystone XL pipeline, canceling oil and\ngas leases on millions of acres, locking up Federal lands, threatening\nColorado energy jobs, canceling Colorado energy jobs, and countless\nother anti-energy measures have contributed to gas prices and inflation\nreaching record levels.\n  The American people spoke in November. They spoke loudly, and they\nspoke very clearly. They resoundingly said: Drill, baby, drill.\n  I am proud of President Trump's executive orders to get our country\nback in the right direction for drilling, but it is up to us in the\nHouse now to do our part and pass legislation to codify what President\nTrump is doing boldly each and every day in the White House.\n  I am proud of his new Secretary of the Department of Energy, Chris\nWright, from Colorado, and Department of the Interior Secretary Doug\nBurgum. They have already started to make good on their promises to\nunleash American energy and put energy workers in my home State of\nColorado back to work.\n  We are tired of relying on OPEC and our adversaries for energy. It is\ntime to bring back and rely on the American roughneck. It is time to\nterminate the green new scam. President Trump is committed to doing\nthat.\n  We hear about subsidies for oil and gas from my colleagues on the\nother side of the aisle, but what the American people aren't hearing\nabout is the $235 billion to clean energy production tax credits, $110\nbillion to clean energy investment tax credits, EV tax credits at $316\nbillion, $203 billion to advanced manufacturing production tax credits,\nand many more tax credits equaling over $1 trillion.\n  We can end the green new scam. We can bring back oil and gas. My\ncolleague, a freshman from Colorado, Congressman Jeff Hurd, has the\nLOCAL Act to bring the BLM headquarters back to Colorado so we have\nboots on the ground, and we can drill, baby, drill.\n  Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from\nTennessee (Mr. Cohen).\n  Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I just find it unbelievable that we have\ncalled up a bill today to require the President to have congressional\napproval to stop fracking when we don't ask the President to not\nimpound funds that have been appropriated through Article I by\nCongress, which is how they are supposed to be appropriated, and when\nwe don't ask the President to not fire the IGs when legislation\nrequires him to give 30 days' notice to Congress before he does so and\nto give good reason for it when the IGs are there to find fraud, abuse,\nand waste of government moneys.\n  That is more important and adds up to more and more dollars that the\nIGs find, and there are other areas where our authority has been\nstepped on and violated.\n  This is just insane that we are doing this today.\n  Madam Speaker, I saw where one of Mr. Musk's followers resigned\nbecause he made statements that he was racist before racism was cool\nand that he would never marry anybody that didn't look like him and of\nhis own race. It sounds like somebody who was inspired by pre-apartheid\nSouth Africa.\n\n[[Page H567]]\n\n  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from\nGeorgia (Mr. Carter).\n  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for\nyielding.\n  Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Protecting\nAmerican Energy Production Act.\n  Unleashing American energy dominance is one of the most important\ntasks facing Congress right now. Restricting the flow of American\nenergy over the last 4 years has forced the price of everything,\nespecially fueling our cars and heating our homes, to skyrocket.\n  Finally, with Republicans back in control of both Chambers of\nCongress and the Presidency, we can follow through on the American\npeople's mandate to unleash American energy.\n  Under the Biden administration, the attacks against energy dominance\nwere crippling. Even in his final days in office, President Biden tried\nto ban American energy by stopping almost all new U.S. offshore\ndrilling projects.\n  Congressman Pfluger's bill is a commonsense piece of legislation that\nwill allow individual States to maintain control of their own fracking\npolicies and prevent executive overreach.\n  America is a large country with diverse energy needs. A one-size-\nfits-all strategy might make life easier for Washington bureaucrats,\nbut it does not work for the American people.\n  This bill simply acknowledges that States, not the Federal\nGovernment, know what energy sources are best for them and allows\nfracking to be a tool in a State's tool chest. This will help lower\ncosts for families who spent 4 years under the Biden-Harris\nadministration having to choose between filling up their cars and\npaying for groceries.\n  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues and my friend, Representative\nPfluger, for introducing this essential piece of legislation. It has my\nfull support.\n  Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.\n  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from\nTexas (Mr. Weber).\n  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Madam Speaker, my Gulf Coast district in Texas,\nbetter known as the Energy Capital of the World, depends on\nRepresentative Pfluger's district, the fracking district, to keep our\nenergy industry running.\n  I guess one could say that while most districts lack it,\nRepresentative Pfluger's district fracks it, and my district cracks it.\nThis is a part of the energy process.\n  Hydraulic fracturing isn't just important. It is absolutely critical.\nIt is the very reason why the Democrats talk about how we lead the\nworld in all the oil and drilling and stuff we have done because it is\nthe reason American producers of oil and natural gas are leading the\nway. It is because of fracking.\n  It does things like my colleague talked about. It keeps the heater\ngoing in the winter and keeps the air-conditioner going in the summer.\nHow about it keeps the lights on, lowers energy costs, and creates\njobs, all the while strengthening our economy? It is not just energy\nsecurity. It is national security.\n  Leave it to our friends across the aisle to try to shut it down. We\nare going to make sure, for which I thank the chairman and August\nPfluger, that that never happens. For the future of this great Nation,\nwe must stop radical, climate-obsessed Presidents from ever placing a\nFederal moratorium on fracking because that would destroy America as we\nknow it.\n  Thankfully, we now have President Trump back in the White House, a\nleader who actually understands just how vital our energy industry is.\nWe also have Chris Wright at the Department of Energy, a man who helped\nfuel America's fracking revolution and made us the energy powerhouse we\nare today.\n\n  Make no mistake, the Green New Deal crowd isn't giving up yet. The\nsecond they get the chance, they will be right back at it, trying to\ndismantle our oil and gas industry.\n  That is why I proudly support my good friend Representative Pfluger's\nbill, the Protecting American Energy Production Act, to make sure that\nfracking remains protected, no matter who sits in the Oval Office.\n  Madam Speaker, we all know that energy security is national security.\nI hope my friends realize that.\n  Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.\n  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman\nfrom Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice).\n  Mrs. BICE. Madam Speaker, I am proud to support H.R. 26, the\nProtecting American Energy Production Act.\n  The previous administration made it their mission to undercut our\nenergy sector, adding burdensome regulations at every opportunity.\n  In my home State of Oklahoma, upstream oil and gas activities\ncontribute to over 278,000 jobs and bring in billions of dollars in\nrevenue.\n  American families deserve access to reliable and affordable domestic\nenergy. According to the America First Policy Institute, hydraulic\nfracturing saves Americans $203 billion annually in reduced energy\ncosts. It is also important to remember that the argument against\nupdated drilling technology is built on misinformation.\n  Under the Obama administration, the EPA found that hydraulic\nfracturing has no widespread systemic impacts on resources in the U.S.\nModern drilling technology techniques are safe, effective, and crucial\nto maintaining our energy independence.\n  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 26,\nand I thank Mr. Pfluger for bringing this forward.\n  Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.\n  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from\nOhio (Mr. Balderson).\n  Mr. BALDERSON. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Westerman for yielding\nto me.\n  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 26, the Protecting\nAmerican Energy Production Act.\n  This bill is critically important to supporting Ohio's energy\nproducers and restoring American energy dominance long into the future.\nThis bill supports the current framework that gives primary authority\nover regulating fracking to the States and prevents any future\nPresident from unilaterally banning fracking.\n  The shale revolution has been a game changer for the Appalachian\nregion and my congressional district. In fact, Utica shale leases have\nboosted central and southeastern Ohio's economy by nearly $1 billion.\n  We all saw the rules that the Biden administration pushed out over\nthe last 4 years, including efforts to mandate EVs for American\nconsumers, blocking new LNG exports, and shutting down our most\nreliable power plants.\n  This bill makes crystal clear that no future administration can\ndecide to ban fracking on a whim.\n  Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.\n  I close by making one thing very clear. Even though fracking can\nundeniably present very real health threats and risks to the public,\nthe reality is that no President has ever tried to ban it, and\nPresident Trump is certainly not going to ban it. He absolutely loves\nfracking.\n\n                              {time}  1015\n\n  Why are we here? Why are we having this totally performative debate?\n  This bill and this debate serves two purposes for my colleagues\nacross the aisle. First, it is a chance to provide an assurance, a love\nletter, to Big Oil, telling them that House Republicans will have their\nbacks, an early Valentine's Day gift, if you will.\n  Second, it is a distraction. House Republicans are distracting the\nAmerican people by saying they are doing something. To put it in\ntheological terms that my friends might appreciate, it is like Jesus is\ncoming, look busy.\n  However, as we have laid out, this will do nothing for energy costs.\nThe entire drill, baby, drill agenda will do nothing for inflation\nbecause the industry is already producing record amounts of oil and\ngas. They are doing more than that. They are purposefully and illegally\nprice gouging Americans, colluding with cartels. They are not\ninterested in lowering costs for the American people.\n  This is also a distraction from the trade war that President Trump is\nstarting to unleash, including against close allies of the United\nStates, something that is going to painfully raise\n\n[[Page H568]]\n\nprices for everyday Americans. It is a distraction from the President's\nthreats and attacks on democracy.\n  We are sliding down the slippery slope to dictatorship, Mr. Speaker,\nand we are here debating a love letter to Big Oil.\n  Just under 3 weeks into this administration, it is clear, and it is\nno surprise, who the Republican leaders in Congress are for. They are\nfor billionaires. They are for Big Oil, corporations, and polluters.\n  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to defend people over polluters and\nvote ``no'' on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.\n  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.\n  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I will cite a 2019 study by the U.S. Chamber\nof Commerce's Global Energy Institute. Their research shows a ban on\nfracking would have eliminated 19 million jobs between 2021 and 2025,\nwhile simultaneously reducing the U.S. gross domestic product by $7.1\ntrillion over the same period. The efforts of a ban like this cannot be\noverstated.\n  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the link to the study by the\nGlobal Energy Institute. The link is: https://www.uschamber.com/assets/\ndocuments/gei/hf__ban__report__final.pdf\n  Mr. Speaker, as we think about what that ban would have done just\nbetween the years 2021 and 2025, what if the Obama administration had\nbeen successful, what if their BLM had been successful in banning\nfracking on Federal lands, America would not have led the world in\nreducing greenhouse gas emissions.\n  We would have seen even higher energy costs. The cost of food would\nhave gone up. It could have changed the course of our country and not\nin a good way had this ban gone into effect.\n  The Global Energy Institute's research also shows that over the same\n2021 to 2025 timeframe, energy prices would have skyrocketed with\nnatural gas prices rising by 324 percent. This would cause household\nenergy bills for the average American to quadruple and the cost of\nliving to increase by $5,661 per year.\n  Additionally, the price of gasoline would double and government\nrevenues would plummet by almost $1.9 trillion.\n  Let's think about that: $7 trillion of GDP. We know from history that\nabout 17\\1/2\\ percent of the GDP goes right into the Federal\nGovernment's tax revenues. This would have driven the deficit much\nhigher had a hydraulic fracking ban been put in place.\n  It could also trigger a global recession. In 1973, when Saudi Arabia\nimplemented an oil embargo and roughly 7 percent of the global oil\nsupply was removed from the markets, world oil prices skyrocketed 400\npercent.\n  With these sobering facts in mind, I urge my colleagues to support\nH.R. 26, and I yield back the balance of my time.\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Obernolte). All time for debate has\nexpired.\n  Pursuant to House Resolution 5, the previous question is ordered on\nthe bill.\n  The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.\n  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was\nread the third time.\n\n                           Motion to Recommit\n\n  Mr. CASTEN. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to\nrecommit.\n  The Clerk read as follows:\n\n       Mr. Casten of Illinois moves to recommit the bill H.R. 26\n     to the Committee on Natural Resources.\n\n  The material previously referred to by Mr. Casten is as follows:\n       Mr. Casten of Illinois moves to recommit the bill H.R. 26\n     to the Committee on Natural Resources with instructions to\n     report the same back to the House forthwith, with the\n     following amendment:\n       Add at the end the following:\n\n     SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.\n\n       This Act shall not take effect until the illegal freeze of\n     taxpayer dollars congressionally appropriated to the\n     Department of the Interior, the National Oceanic and\n     Atmospheric Administration, and other agencies is stopped,\n     civil rights and employment protections for nonpartisan\n     Federal public servants are restored, and the Department of\n     Government Efficiency staff and unelected billionaires like\n     Elon Musk no longer have unlawful access to Federal\n     Government systems and the private, sensitive data of United\n     States citizens.\n\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX, the\nprevious question is ordered on the motion to recommit.\n  The question is on the motion to recommit.\n  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that\nthe noes appeared to have it.\n  Mr. CASTEN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.\n  The yeas and nays were ordered.\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, the Chair\nwill reduce to 5 minutes the minimum time for any electronic vote on\nthe question of passage.\n  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 205,\nnays 207, not voting 20, as follows:\n\n                             [Roll No. 34]\n\n                               YEAS--205\n\n     Adams\n     Aguilar\n     Amo\n     Ansari\n     Auchincloss\n     Balint\n     Barragan\n     Beatty\n     Bell\n     Beyer\n     Bishop\n     Bonamici\n     Brown\n     Brownley\n     Budzinski\n     Bynum\n     Carbajal\n     Carson\n     Carter (LA)\n     Casar\n     Case\n     Casten\n     Castor (FL)\n     Castro (TX)\n     Cherfilus-McCormick\n     Chu\n     Cisneros\n     Clark (MA)\n     Clarke (NY)\n     Cleaver\n     Clyburn\n     Cohen\n     Conaway\n     Connolly\n     Correa\n     Costa\n     Courtney\n     Craig\n     Crockett\n     Crow\n     Cuellar\n     Davids (KS)\n     Davis (IL)\n     Davis (NC)\n     Dean (PA)\n     DeGette\n     DeLauro\n     DelBene\n     Deluzio\n     Dexter\n     Dingell\n     Doggett\n     Donalds\n     Elfreth\n     Escobar\n     Espaillat\n     Evans (PA)\n     Fields\n     Figures\n     Fletcher\n     Foster\n     Foushee\n     Frankel, Lois\n     Friedman\n     Frost\n     Garamendi\n     Garcia (CA)\n     Garcia (IL)\n     Garcia (TX)\n     Gillen\n     Golden (ME)\n     Gomez\n     Gonzalez, V.\n     Goodlander\n     Gottheimer\n     Gray\n     Green, Al (TX)\n     Harder (CA)\n     Hayes\n     Himes\n     Horsford\n     Houlahan\n     Hoyer\n     Hoyle (OR)\n     Huffman\n     Ivey\n     Jackson (IL)\n     Jacobs\n     Jeffries\n     Johnson (GA)\n     Johnson (TX)\n     Kamlager-Dove\n     Kaptur\n     Keating\n     Kelly (IL)\n     Kennedy (NY)\n     Khanna\n     Krishnamoorthi\n     Landsman\n     Larsen (WA)\n     Larson (CT)\n     Latimer\n     Lee (NV)\n     Lee (PA)\n     Levin\n     Liccardo\n     Lieu\n     Lofgren\n     Lynch\n     Magaziner\n     Mannion\n     Matsui\n     McBath\n     McBride\n     McClain Delaney\n     McClellan\n     McCollum\n     McDonald Rivet\n     McGarvey\n     McGovern\n     McIver\n     Meeks\n     Menendez\n     Meng\n     Mfume\n     Min\n     Moore (WI)\n     Morelle\n     Morrison\n     Moskowitz\n     Moulton\n     Mrvan\n     Nadler\n     Neal\n     Neguse\n     Norcross\n     Ocasio-Cortez\n     Olszewski\n     Omar\n     Pallone\n     Panetta\n     Pappas\n     Pelosi\n     Perez\n     Peters\n     Pocan\n     Pou\n     Pressley\n     Quigley\n     Ramirez\n     Randall\n     Raskin\n     Riley (NY)\n     Rivas\n     Ross\n     Ruiz\n     Ryan\n     Salinas\n     Sanchez\n     Scanlon\n     Schakowsky\n     Schneider\n     Scholten\n     Schrier\n     Scott (VA)\n     Scott, David\n     Sewell\n     Sherman\n     Sherrill\n     Simon\n     Smith (WA)\n     Sorensen\n     Soto\n     Stansbury\n     Stanton\n     Stevens\n     Strickland\n     Subramanyam\n     Suozzi\n     Swalwell\n     Sykes\n     Takano\n     Thanedar\n     Thompson (CA)\n     Thompson (MS)\n     Titus\n     Tlaib\n     Tokuda\n     Tonko\n     Torres (CA)\n     Torres (NY)\n     Trahan\n     Tran\n     Turner (TX)\n     Underwood\n     Vargas\n     Vasquez\n     Veasey\n     Velazquez\n     Vindman\n     Wasserman Schultz\n     Waters\n     Watson Coleman\n     Whitesides\n     Williams (GA)\n\n                               NAYS--207\n\n     Aderholt\n     Alford\n     Allen\n     Amodei (NV)\n     Arrington\n     Babin\n     Bacon\n     Baird\n     Balderson\n     Barr\n     Barrett\n     Baumgartner\n     Bean (FL)\n     Begich\n     Bentz\n     Bice\n     Biggs (SC)\n     Bilirakis\n     Boebert\n     Bost\n     Brecheen\n     Bresnahan\n     Burchett\n     Burlison\n     Calvert\n     Cammack\n     Carey\n     Carter (GA)\n     Carter (TX)\n     Cline\n     Cloud\n     Clyde\n     Cole\n     Collins\n     Comer\n     Crane\n     Crank\n     Crawford\n     Crenshaw\n     Davidson\n     De La Cruz\n     DesJarlais\n     Diaz-Balart\n     Downing\n     Dunn (FL)\n     Edwards\n     Ellzey\n     Emmer\n     Estes\n     Evans (CO)\n     Ezell\n     Fallon\n     Fedorchak\n     Feenstra\n     Finstad\n     Fischbach\n     Fitzgerald\n     Fitzpatrick\n     Fleischmann\n     Flood\n     Fong\n     Foxx\n     Franklin, Scott\n     Fry\n     Fulcher\n     Garbarino\n     Gill (TX)\n     Gimenez\n     Goldman (TX)\n     Gonzales, Tony\n     Gooden\n     Gosar\n     Graves\n     Green (TN)\n     Greene (GA)\n     Griffith\n     Grothman\n     Guest\n     Guthrie\n     Hageman\n     Hamadeh (AZ)\n     Haridopolos\n     Harrigan\n     Harris (MD)\n     Harris (NC)\n     Harshbarger\n     Hern (OK)\n     Higgins (LA)\n     Hill (AR)\n     Hinson\n     Houchin\n     Hudson\n     Huizenga\n     Hunt\n     Hurd (CO)\n     Issa\n     Jack\n     Jackson (TX)\n     James\n     Johnson (SD)\n     Jordan\n     Joyce (OH)\n     Joyce (PA)\n     Kean\n     Kelly (MS)\n     Kelly (PA)\n     Kennedy (UT)\n     Kiggans (VA)\n     Kiley (CA)\n     Kim\n     Knott\n     Kustoff\n     LaHood\n     LaLota\n     LaMalfa\n     Langworthy\n     Latta\n     Lawler\n     Lee (FL)\n     Loudermilk\n     Lucas\n     Luttrell\n     Mace\n     Mackenzie\n     Malliotakis\n     Maloy\n     Mann\n     Massie\n     Mast\n     McCaul\n     McClain\n     McClintock\n     McCormick\n     McDowell\n     McGuire\n     Messmer\n     Meuser\n     Miller (IL)\n     Miller (OH)\n     Miller-Meeks\n     Mills\n     Moolenaar\n     Moore (AL)\n     Moore (NC)\n     Moore (UT)\n     Moore (WV)\n     Moran\n     Murphy\n     Nehls\n     Newhouse\n\n[[Page H569]]\n\n     Norman\n     Nunn (IA)\n     Obernolte\n     Onder\n     Owens\n     Palmer\n     Perry\n     Pfluger\n     Reschenthaler\n     Rogers (AL)\n     Rogers (KY)\n     Rouzer\n     Roy\n     Rulli\n     Rutherford\n     Salazar\n     Scalise\n     Schmidt\n     Schweikert\n     Scott, Austin\n     Self\n     Sessions\n     Shreve\n     Simpson\n     Smith (MO)\n     Smith (NE)\n     Smith (NJ)\n     Smucker\n     Spartz\n     Stauber\n     Stefanik\n     Steil\n     Steube\n     Strong\n     Stutzman\n     Taylor\n     Tenney\n     Thompson (PA)\n     Tiffany\n     Timmons\n     Turner (OH)\n     Valadao\n     Van Drew\n     Van Duyne\n     Van Orden\n     Wagner\n     Walberg\n     Weber (TX)\n     Webster (FL)\n     Westerman\n     Wied\n     Williams (TX)\n     Wilson (SC)\n     Wittman\n     Womack\n     Yakym\n     Zinke\n\n                             NOT VOTING--20\n\n     Bera\n     Bergman\n     Biggs (AZ)\n     Boyle (PA)\n     Buchanan\n     Ciscomani\n     DeSaulnier\n     Goldman (NY)\n     Grijalva\n     Jayapal\n     Leger Fernandez\n     Letlow\n     Luna\n     Miller (WV)\n     Mullin\n     Ogles\n     Pettersen\n     Pingree\n     Rose\n     Wilson (FL)\n\n                              {time}  1048\n\n  Messrs. DAVIDSON, VAN DREW, Mrs. CAMMACK, and Mr. HILL of Arkansas\nchanged their vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''\n  Mrs. TORRES of California, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mses. WASSERMAN\nSCHULTZ and CRAIG, and Messrs. MRVAN, LANDSMAN, and GREEN of Texas\nchanged their vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''\n  So the motion to recommit was rejected.\n  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on passage of bill.\n  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that\nthe ayes appeared to have it.\n  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.\n  The yeas and nays were ordered.\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore. This will be a 5-minute vote.\n  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 226,\nnays 188, not voting 19, as follows:\n\n                             [Roll No. 35]\n\n                               YEAS--226\n\n     Aderholt\n     Alford\n     Allen\n     Amodei (NV)\n     Arrington\n     Babin\n     Bacon\n     Baird\n     Balderson\n     Barr\n     Barrett\n     Baumgartner\n     Bean (FL)\n     Begich\n     Bentz\n     Bice\n     Biggs (SC)\n     Bilirakis\n     Bishop\n     Boebert\n     Bost\n     Brecheen\n     Bresnahan\n     Burchett\n     Burlison\n     Calvert\n     Cammack\n     Carey\n     Carter (GA)\n     Carter (TX)\n     Cline\n     Cloud\n     Clyde\n     Cole\n     Collins\n     Comer\n     Correa\n     Costa\n     Crane\n     Crank\n     Crawford\n     Crenshaw\n     Cuellar\n     Davidson\n     De La Cruz\n     DesJarlais\n     Diaz-Balart\n     Donalds\n     Downing\n     Dunn (FL)\n     Edwards\n     Ellzey\n     Emmer\n     Estes\n     Evans (CO)\n     Ezell\n     Fallon\n     Fedorchak\n     Feenstra\n     Finstad\n     Fischbach\n     Fitzgerald\n     Fitzpatrick\n     Fleischmann\n     Fletcher\n     Flood\n     Fong\n     Foxx\n     Franklin, Scott\n     Fry\n     Fulcher\n     Garbarino\n     Gill (TX)\n     Gimenez\n     Golden (ME)\n     Goldman (TX)\n     Gonzales, Tony\n     Gonzalez, V.\n     Gooden\n     Gosar\n     Graves\n     Gray\n     Green (TN)\n     Greene (GA)\n     Griffith\n     Grothman\n     Guest\n     Guthrie\n     Hageman\n     Hamadeh (AZ)\n     Haridopolos\n     Harrigan\n     Harris (MD)\n     Harris (NC)\n     Harshbarger\n     Hern (OK)\n     Higgins (LA)\n     Hill (AR)\n     Hinson\n     Houchin\n     Houlahan\n     Hudson\n     Huizenga\n     Hunt\n     Hurd (CO)\n     Issa\n     Jack\n     Jackson (TX)\n     James\n     Johnson (LA)\n     Johnson (SD)\n     Johnson (TX)\n     Jordan\n     Joyce (OH)\n     Joyce (PA)\n     Kaptur\n     Kean\n     Kelly (MS)\n     Kelly (PA)\n     Kennedy (UT)\n     Kiggans (VA)\n     Kiley (CA)\n     Kim\n     Knott\n     Kustoff\n     LaHood\n     LaLota\n     LaMalfa\n     Landsman\n     Langworthy\n     Latta\n     Lawler\n     Lee (FL)\n     Letlow\n     Loudermilk\n     Lucas\n     Luttrell\n     Mace\n     Mackenzie\n     Malliotakis\n     Maloy\n     Mann\n     Massie\n     Mast\n     McCaul\n     McClain\n     McClintock\n     McCormick\n     McDowell\n     McGuire\n     Messmer\n     Meuser\n     Miller (IL)\n     Miller (OH)\n     Miller-Meeks\n     Mills\n     Moolenaar\n     Moore (AL)\n     Moore (NC)\n     Moore (UT)\n     Moore (WV)\n     Moran\n     Murphy\n     Nehls\n     Newhouse\n     Norman\n     Nunn (IA)\n     Obernolte\n     Onder\n     Owens\n     Palmer\n     Perez\n     Perry\n     Pfluger\n     Reschenthaler\n     Rogers (AL)\n     Rogers (KY)\n     Rouzer\n     Roy\n     Rulli\n     Rutherford\n     Salazar\n     Scalise\n     Schmidt\n     Schweikert\n     Scott, Austin\n     Self\n     Sessions\n     Shreve\n     Simpson\n     Smith (MO)\n     Smith (NE)\n     Smith (NJ)\n     Smucker\n     Spartz\n     Stauber\n     Stefanik\n     Steil\n     Steube\n     Strong\n     Stutzman\n     Taylor\n     Tenney\n     Thompson (PA)\n     Tiffany\n     Timmons\n     Turner (OH)\n     Turner (TX)\n     Valadao\n     Van Drew\n     Van Duyne\n     Van Orden\n     Vasquez\n     Veasey\n     Wagner\n     Walberg\n     Weber (TX)\n     Webster (FL)\n     Westerman\n     Wied\n     Williams (TX)\n     Wilson (SC)\n     Wittman\n     Womack\n     Yakym\n     Zinke\n\n                               NAYS--188\n\n     Adams\n     Aguilar\n     Amo\n     Ansari\n     Auchincloss\n     Balint\n     Barragan\n     Beatty\n     Bell\n     Beyer\n     Bonamici\n     Brown\n     Brownley\n     Budzinski\n     Bynum\n     Carbajal\n     Carson\n     Carter (LA)\n     Casar\n     Case\n     Casten\n     Castor (FL)\n     Castro (TX)\n     Cherfilus-McCormick\n     Chu\n     Cisneros\n     Clark (MA)\n     Clarke (NY)\n     Cleaver\n     Clyburn\n     Cohen\n     Conaway\n     Connolly\n     Courtney\n     Craig\n     Crockett\n     Crow\n     Davids (KS)\n     Davis (IL)\n     Davis (NC)\n     Dean (PA)\n     DeGette\n     DeLauro\n     DelBene\n     Deluzio\n     Dexter\n     Dingell\n     Doggett\n     Elfreth\n     Escobar\n     Espaillat\n     Evans (PA)\n     Fields\n     Figures\n     Foster\n     Foushee\n     Frankel, Lois\n     Friedman\n     Frost\n     Garamendi\n     Garcia (CA)\n     Garcia (IL)\n     Garcia (TX)\n     Gillen\n     Gomez\n     Goodlander\n     Gottheimer\n     Green, Al (TX)\n     Harder (CA)\n     Hayes\n     Himes\n     Horsford\n     Hoyer\n     Hoyle (OR)\n     Huffman\n     Ivey\n     Jackson (IL)\n     Jacobs\n     Jeffries\n     Johnson (GA)\n     Kamlager-Dove\n     Keating\n     Kelly (IL)\n     Kennedy (NY)\n     Khanna\n     Krishnamoorthi\n     Larsen (WA)\n     Larson (CT)\n     Latimer\n     Lee (NV)\n     Lee (PA)\n     Levin\n     Liccardo\n     Lieu\n     Lofgren\n     Lynch\n     Magaziner\n     Mannion\n     Matsui\n     McBath\n     McBride\n     McClain Delaney\n     McClellan\n     McCollum\n     McDonald Rivet\n     McGarvey\n     McGovern\n     McIver\n     Meeks\n     Menendez\n     Meng\n     Mfume\n     Min\n     Moore (WI)\n     Morelle\n     Morrison\n     Moskowitz\n     Moulton\n     Mrvan\n     Nadler\n     Neal\n     Neguse\n     Norcross\n     Ocasio-Cortez\n     Olszewski\n     Omar\n     Pallone\n     Panetta\n     Pappas\n     Pelosi\n     Peters\n     Pocan\n     Pou\n     Pressley\n     Quigley\n     Ramirez\n     Randall\n     Raskin\n     Riley (NY)\n     Rivas\n     Ross\n     Ruiz\n     Ryan\n     Salinas\n     Sanchez\n     Scanlon\n     Schakowsky\n     Schneider\n     Scholten\n     Schrier\n     Scott (VA)\n     Scott, David\n     Sewell\n     Sherman\n     Sherrill\n     Simon\n     Smith (WA)\n     Sorensen\n     Soto\n     Stansbury\n     Stanton\n     Stevens\n     Strickland\n     Subramanyam\n     Suozzi\n     Swalwell\n     Sykes\n     Takano\n     Thanedar\n     Thompson (CA)\n     Thompson (MS)\n     Titus\n     Tlaib\n     Tokuda\n     Tonko\n     Torres (CA)\n     Torres (NY)\n     Trahan\n     Tran\n     Underwood\n     Vargas\n     Velazquez\n     Vindman\n     Wasserman Schultz\n     Waters\n     Watson Coleman\n     Whitesides\n     Williams (GA)\n\n                             NOT VOTING--19\n\n     Bera\n     Bergman\n     Biggs (AZ)\n     Boyle (PA)\n     Buchanan\n     Ciscomani\n     DeSaulnier\n     Goldman (NY)\n     Grijalva\n     Jayapal\n     Leger Fernandez\n     Luna\n     Miller (WV)\n     Mullin\n     Ogles\n     Pettersen\n     Pingree\n     Rose\n     Wilson (FL)\n\n                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore\n\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore (during the vote). There are 2 minutes\nremaining.\n\n                              {time}  1057\n\n  So the bill was passed.\n  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.\n  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.\n\n                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION\n\n  Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, I missed the vote series today. Had I been\npresent, I would have voted yea on the Motion to Recommit on H.R. 26,\n(Roll Call No. 34), and nay on Passage of H.R. 26, (Roll Call No. 35).\n\n                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION\n\n  Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was unable to vote\ntoday, as I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have\nvoted YEA on Roll Call No. 34, on the motion to recommit on H.R. 26,\nthe Protecting American Energy Production Act, and NAY on Roll Call No.\n35, H.R. 26, the Protecting American Energy Production Act.\n\n                          personal explanation\n\n  Mr. GOLDMAN of New York. Mr. Speaker, I missed votes because of an\nimportant family matter. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on\nRoll Call No. 34, and NAY on Roll Call No. 35.\n\n                          personal explanation\n\n  Ms. PETTERSEN. Mr. Speaker, I recently gave birth and am unable to\ntravel to D.C. to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on\nRoll Call No. 34 and NAY on Roll Call No. 35.\n\n                          ____________________"]], "columns": ["granule_id", "date", "congress", "session", "volume", "issue", "title", "chamber", "granule_class", "sub_granule_class", "page_start", "page_end", "speakers", "bills", "citation", "full_text"], "primary_keys": ["granule_id"], "primary_key_values": ["CREC-2025-02-07-pt1-PgH561-4"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 5.70067495573312, "source": "Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API", "source_url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/developers/api/v1", "license": "Public Domain (U.S. Government data)", "license_url": "https://www.regulations.gov/faq"}