Chicago – February 07, 2025
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives recently passed a law that would stop future presidents from banning oil and gas drilling without Congress’s approval. The bill, called the “Protecting American Energy Production Act,” was approved on Friday. It says that the president can’t stop hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking) unless Congress agrees to it first.
The law passed with all Republicans in favor and 118 Democrats voting against it. This move comes after former President Joe Biden put rules in place during his time in office, including banning oil and gas drilling in 625 million acres of offshore and coastal areas just before leaving office.
Rep. August Pfluger, a Republican from Texas who introduced the bill, said the legislation was created because of worries that fracking might be banned during the Biden administration.
Since his campaign, former President Donald Trump has promised to expand American-made energy by supporting more drilling, part of his “drill, baby, drill” plan.
If the bill becomes law, it will stop future presidents from banning drilling methods like fracking. Additionally, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum recently removed some of the climate policies and drilling bans that were put in place under the Biden administration, starting internal investigations into actions that he believes hurt energy development.
