Oil and gas industry leaders are skeptical of Vice President Kamala Harris' stance on key state issues and are calling for her to clarify her position before Election Day.
During the 2020 presidential campaign, Vice President Harris said there was “no question” that she supported a ban on fracking, but after becoming the 2024 Democratic nominee she said she would not ban fracking if elected.
“As a Pennsylvania native who understands how important oil and gas is to our local community and consumers across the country, I am skeptical of the vice president's pivot to fracking, and we don't have an energy policy plan yet,” Jeff Eshelman, president and CEO of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), told Fox News Digital.
'Political maneuvering': Harris fends off shifting attacks as faceless surrogates shift key positions
Vice President Kamala Harris during the second presidential debate at the National Constitution Center on Tuesday, September 10, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg)
Eshelman added that her change shows that fracking is a winning issue.
Harris claims she “clarified” her position on fracking in 2020 — records tell a different story
““If the Vice President supported fracking, we would encourage him to meet with oil and gas producers as our experts. But Harris' support for fracking shows how important energy issues are to voters who understand that expanded oil and gas development is key to lowering gas prices and reducing our dependence on foreign oil,” Eshelman said. “Harris's change of course makes it clear that unlocking abundant, affordable American energy resources through safe, responsible fracking technology is a winning issue.”
A New York Times/Siena College poll released in September found that 43% of voters somewhat or strongly oppose a ban on fracking, making the issue a top concern not only for voters in the battleground state of Pennsylvania but also nationwide.
A hydraulic fracturing rig in a remote mountain location with thin clouds hanging in the evening sky.
The American Petroleum Institute (API) also echoed doubts about her position.
““I think the vice president should be held accountable for what she means, and she's been able to get away with not saying much up until now, and the reason she's suddenly talking about fracking is because the path to the presidency goes through Pennsylvania, and I think they fully understand how important the oil and gas industry is to the roughly 500 million people who work in the oil and gas industry in Pennsylvania,” said Amanda Ebersole, executive vice president of API.
The API also suggested that voters in battleground states could be the driving force behind her decision to change her stance on the issue.
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump spoke at a campaign event at Linda Ronstadt Music Hall in Tucson, Arizona on Thursday. (Ross D. Franklin)
“President Trump, we know where he stands on energy issues. But voters have a right to know what his vice president's philosophy is, and expressing support for fracking is not enough. There are a lot of questions that voters have a right to know the answers to.”
A Harris campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the vice president has a clear position on the issue.
“Vice President Harris is proud to have voted in the runoff election for the largest investment ever to address the climate crisis, and under a Biden-Harris Administration, America will be more energy secure than ever before and domestic energy production will be at an all-time high. The Biden-Harris Administration has sparked a manufacturing boom in America and created 300,000 energy jobs, while Trump has lost nearly a million and his Project 2025 will undo the tremendous progress we've made over the past four years.”
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“Vice President Harris is focused on a future where all Americans have access to clean air, clean water and affordable, reliable energy, while Mr. Trump's lies are a clear attempt to distract from his agenda to enrich oil and gas executives at the expense of the middle class,” the campaign told Fox.
