“There’s no question that I’m in favor of banning fracking,” Vice President Kamala Harris said at a 2019 CNN town hall.
Harris’ outspoken support for a ban on fracking may have permanently cost her any chance of winning Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes five years from now.
Pennsylvania is a key state in the Democratic Party’s Blue Wall strategy to stop former President Donald Trump from mounting the biggest political comeback in American political history, with many political experts predicting that whoever wins the keystone state will win the presidential election.
Harris reportedly changed her stance in July on whether she supported a ban on fracking, which would make America more energy independent and boost Pennsylvania’s economy, according to anonymous campaign officials.
It may be too late for Harris to change policy.
Emmanuel Paris, 31, who works for a family-owned construction company that employs 400 people, said Harris’s change of policy on fracking was what made him vote for Trump. “You can’t just stop everything else and switch to solar and wind,” Paris said. said of The Washington Post.
Paris is just one of many Keystone State voters who see Harris as allied with Green New Deal advocates and are put off by a legislative package that seeks to exploit global warming to restructure the U.S. economy into a socialist utopia.
Ending fracking would mean lost jobs and revenue for the state. About 2,000 landowners lease The Marcellus Shale Coalition estimates their property will be converted to natural gas wells. These royalties are taxes that 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 post Royalty payments have reportedly soared to more than $6 billion. According to a study by FTI Consulting, about 121,000 Pennsylvania jobs are linked to hydraulic fracturing. Found 2022.
Jeff Novers, executive director of Pittsburgh Works Together, explained that Harris’s promise to ban fracking is seared into the memory: “Whether she likes it or not, she said it, and it’s memorable,” he said. post“What people are looking at is whether businesses are willing to invest here, what they’re willing to put into this industry. And the next presidential candidate is in that position in the recent election.”
“There’s already uncertainty about what she believes and what she will do,” he said. “And if she doesn’t support a ban on fracking, what is her energy policy plan?”
Some questioned why Democrats would attack so many people’s livelihoods. “Are we going to ban fracking?” asked Dave Hunter, owner of Smokin’ Steer BBQ. post“Why are you telling me this?”
“It’s a big deal,” said Ron Valenti, 64, co-owner of Babington Roadhouse. He refuses to vote for the Democratic candidate: “I used to vote Democrat,” he said. post“Today? No.”
Polls in Pennsylvania show the race is close, with most showing Harris with a slight lead over Trump but within the margin of error, and as with most elections, turnout in November is likely to determine the outcome.
Wendell Fsebo is a political reporter for Breitbart News and a former war room analyst for the Republican National Committee. He is the author of: The Politics of Slave MoralityFollow Wendell “X” @WendellHusebø or The truth of society @WendellHusebo.
