American Petroleum Institute CEO Mike Sommers highlights the importance of domestic energy production and compares Trump’s and Harris’ oil control positions.
The US Oil & Gas Association on Monday took Kamala Harris’s aide to task over the presidential contender’s continued fracking.
The organization weighed in in a Politico interview with Harris Director of Climate Engagement Camila Thorndike.
In the interview, Thorndike was asked how Harris will convince young voters that he remains committed to policies that protect the environment despite “the promotion of fossil fuels over the past few months.”
Thorndike said Harris wasn’t preventing fraud but he wasn’t encouraging it. He said the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) required new leases.
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Vice President Harris speaks at the American Federation of Teachers’ 88th National Convention on July 25, 2024, in Houston. (Montinique Monroe/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Harris addressed the issue of fracking reform during last month’s presidential debate. The vice president said his “prices have not changed” and pointed to the fact that the IRA “has opened new leases for completion.”
“So Harris’ new position in October is that he now opposes repeal and he no longer supports his position in July when he changed his position to support fracking and that was a change from his earlier, earlier position in June which was to oppose fracking? ,” US Oil & Gas Association tweeted in response to the interview.
Later Monday, Thorndike sought to clarify his comments.
“I didn’t explain myself clearly here. Contrary to Trump’s claims, the VP did not prevent fraud, he does not support the ban on fracking, and in fact he made a vote that violates the biggest pro-climate law, which, yes. , opened new leases people know that that situation his,” said Thorndike on Twitter.
The tweet prompted another response from the US Oil & Gas Association.
“Wait! Change of plans from earlier this morning… As of this afternoon, Harris now supports fracking and is a reversal from this morning when they were against fracking,” the organization said on Twitter. “What is the change in their position from July when they supported the withdrawal … What is the change in their position from June when they were against the withdrawal … You got it? You got it.”
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FOX Business has reached out to the organization and the Harris campaign for further comment.
When he ran for president in 2019, Harris — then a U.S. senator — said there was “no question” that he was in favor of banning fracking.
Halliburton workers work on three wellhead fracturing sites Monday, June 26, 2017, in Midland, Texas. (Steve Gonzales / Houston Chronicle via Getty Images / Getty Images)
He later changed his position on the issue after the Democratic Alliance nomination in 2024.
Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” is a process that involves injecting water, chemicals, and sand into shale rock at high pressure to extract natural gas. This system has revolutionized the oil and gas industry by allowing producers to access large quantities within shale rocks that were previously unavailable and inexpensive to mine.
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Proponents of fracking argue that it is essential for the US to be energy independent and is the reason for the sharp decline in carbon dioxide emissions over the past decade. Meanwhile, opponents say fracking pollutes drinking water and air and releases greenhouse gases into the ozone layer, which contributes to global warming.
Breck Dumas of FOX Business contributed to this report.
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