Vice President Kamala Harris has been “very clear” about her policy change on the fracking ban, her campaign said Wednesday.
Harris is scheduled to appear in her first pre-recorded interview with CNN on Thursday, in which she is likely to be asked about the unnamed campaign aide's remarks. POLITICO Harris no longer supports fracking.
“The Vice President changed her position on Pennsylvania's fracking law. Do you know why she changed her position?” CNN asked Harris campaign communications director Michael Tyler.
“Look, she's very clear here,” he replied, but didn't answer the question.
“She's proud of the work she's done as a member of this Administration to keep American energy production at its highest levels ever. We look forward to continuing that progress in her first term. And whether it's energy policy or economic policy more broadly, I know we have a warrior in Kamala Harris who always puts the interests of the American people first and unites us in seeking solutions that improve our quality of life, our economy and our energy production.”
Michael Tyler, a top intern for the Harris campaign, said Kamala Harris has “made her position very clear” on fracking.
She has been clear in her support for a ban on fracking and has stated that repeatedly.
She has never retracted that position. pic.twitter.com/LuNJ6tSqdL
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 28, 2024
Harris will have a chance to clarify her stance on fracking in Thursday's interview, but Republicans have raised doubts about the pre-recorded nature of the interview, saying it could be edited to protect Harris, and that CNN, known for its bias against former President Donald Trump, is likely to censor it.
“Kamala Harris is holding rallies on her base, CNN, and even allowing her interviews to be pre-recorded,” Mike Davis, founder and president of the pro-Trump Article 3 Project, told Breitbart News. “Will CNN edit out Kamala's gaffes? Will they allow her to bring a teleprompter?”
Ending fracking would mean the loss of Pennsylvania jobs and state revenue. Nearly 200,000 landowners lease The Marcellus Shale Coalition estimates royalties on natural gas wells from its land, which are taxed and provide revenue to local governments for public schools, police departments and environmental protection projects.
Fracking generates $3.2 billion in state and local tax revenues The Washington Post Royalty payments have reportedly soared to more than $6 billion.A 2022 study by FTI Consulting found that roughly 121,000 jobs for Pennsylvania residents are linked to hydraulic fracturing.
No one in the Keystone State seems to know what Harris really thinks about fracking or what she would do if elected in November. Despite hosting an event highlighting how she would turn the economy around under her leadership, Harris has not directly addressed how she would handle the oil and gas industry if elected.
