In her first interview since emerging as the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, Vice President Kamala Harris stressed that she would not ban fracking if elected, claiming that she made her position on fracking “clear” during the 2020 election.
“No, I said in the 2020 debates that I would not ban fracking. As vice president, I did not ban fracking. As president, I will not ban fracking,” Harris said.
“There's no question I'm in favor of banning fracking,” Harris said at a CNN town hall meeting on her first day in office, before dropping out of the 2019 presidential race and joining Biden's shortlist.
“And we should start with what we can do from day one around our public lands, right?” she continued. “And we need to enact legislation, and yes, that's something I've taken on in California. I have a history of working on this issue, and you're right, we have to acknowledge that the residual impacts of fracking are significant in terms of the health and safety of our communities.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris gave her first media interview since emerging as the front-runner in the Democratic field. (CNN)
When CNN host Dana Bash asked Harris about her 2019 comments, she said she was “clear” about fracking when she was Biden's running mate.
“In 2020 I made my position clear. Now it's 2024 and I've moved forward, but I haven't changed that position. I kept my promise and I will continue to keep it,” Harris continued.
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Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at a campaign rally in Savannah, Georgia, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Martin)
“Let me be clear: My values have not changed. I believe it's critically important that we think seriously about what we have to do to protect ourselves from the clear crisis on climate. And to do that, we can do what we've accomplished so far: the Inflation-Blocking Act, what we've done to invest, by my calculation, over $1 trillion over the next 10 years, to invest in the clean energy economy. What we've already done: created over 300,000 new clean energy jobs,” she continued.
Harris was asked about fracking during the 2020 vice presidential debate with then-Vice President Mike Pence but did not take a position, instead saying Biden would not ban fracking. A Fox News Digital review of the 2020 vice presidential debate transcripts found that the term “fracking” was mentioned nine times and used by Harris twice.
“Joe Biden is not going to end fracking. He's made that very clear,” Harris said. Under discussion In the 2020 cycle.
“I repeat: the American people know that Joe Biden will not ban fracking. That's a fact. That's a fact,” she added during another part of the debate.
Democratic presidential candidate and US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks onstage on the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, August 19, 2024. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz also sat in on the interview, which came 68 days before Election Day. Harris has mainly been keeping the media updated since Biden dropped out of the race last month.
The CNN interview will be her first in-person interview with the media, but she has not held a press conference in 39 days since first coming forward as the presumptive nominee.
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Harris traveled to Chicago last week to formally accept the party's nomination at the Democratic National Convention.
