The U.S. House recently passed the Protecting American Energy Production Act, a bill to prevent any President from banning fracking, had the support of all five Oklahoma Representatives.
The vote was 226 to 188. Rep. Stephanie Bice called the passage of H.R. 26 an important piece of legislation that will ensure congressional control over hydraulic fracturing and prevent a future ban by any president.
In comments on the House floor, Congresswoman Bice stated, “The previous Administration made it their mission to undercut our energy sector, adding burdensome regulations at every opportunity. In my home state of Oklahoma, upstream oil and gas activities contribute to over 278,000 jobs and bring in billions of dollars in revenue.”
She defended the oil and gas industry.
“American families deserve access to reliable and affordable domestic energy, and according to the America First Policy Institute, hydraulic fracturing saves Americans 203 billion dollars annually in reduced energy costs. It is also important to remember that the argument against updated drilling technology is built on misinformation.”
Bice told the House that the Obama administration’s EPA found that hydraulic fracturing has no widespread, systemic impacts on resources in the U.S.
Reps. Josh Brecheen, Frank Lucas, Tom Cole and Kevin Hern joined Bice in voting for the measure. The vote breakdown showed 118 Democrats who voted against the legislation while Republican House members were unanimous in their support of passage.