[Pages H561-H569]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

PROTECTING AMERICAN ENERGY PRODUCTION ACT

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 5, I call up
the bill (H.R. 26) to prohibit a moratorium on the use of hydraulic
fracturing, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gimenez). Pursuant to House Resolution
5, the bill is considered read.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 26

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting American Energy
Production Act''.

SEC. 2. PROTECTING AMERICAN ENERGY PRODUCTION.

(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
States should maintain primacy for the regulation of
hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas production on
State and private lands.
(b) Prohibition on Declaration of a Moratorium on Hydraulic
Fracturing.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
President may not declare a moratorium on the use of
hydraulic fracturing unless such moratorium is authorized by
an Act of Congress.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill shall be debatable for 1 hour,
equally divided and controlled by the majority leader and the minority
leader, or their respective designees.
The gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentleman from
California (Mr. Huffman) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.

General Leave

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 26.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arkansas?
There was no objection.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 26, the Protecting
American Energy Production Act.
H.R. 26, introduced by Congressman Pfluger, would prevent any
President from issuing a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing while also
establishing a sense of Congress that States should regulate the
practice on State and private land.
Hydraulic fracturing has been around for nearly 100 years. With other
advancements in the industry, such as horizontal drilling, hydraulic
fracturing has become a staple of the oil and gas industry. The
practice has propelled the United States to energy superpower status.
In fact, fracking in the United States provides 64 percent of American
crude oil and 78 percent of the country's natural gas.
This surge in supply has contributed to lower energy prices for
consumers, stimulated economic and job growth, and improved the quality
of life for Americans.
In truth, a ban on hydraulic fracturing would devastate the American
economy while surrendering world energy leadership to adversary nations
with large oil and gas reserves, such as Russia, Iran, Venezuela, and
China.
Federal efforts to regulate fracking, which is adequately regulated
by the States, could have an equally detrimental impact. The Energy
Policy Act of 2005 clarified that Congress never intended the Federal
Government to regulate fracking under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
There is even precedent from the courts to not allow the Federal
Government to regulate fracking. In the Obama administration, the
Bureau of

[[Page H562]]

Land Management attempted to regulate the practice for Federal lands
and minerals, but the courts correctly threw out the effort. In the
decision, the judge clearly stated: ``Congress has not delegated to the
Department of the Interior the authority to regulate hydraulic
fracturing. The BLM's effort to do so through the fracking rule is in
excess of its statutory authority and contrary to the law.''
States regulate fracking, and each has comprehensive laws and
regulations to provide for safe operations, protect drinking water
sources, and ensure effective regulations of oil and gas exploration
and production.
This bill would prevent future administrations from implementing a
unilateral fracking ban and express Congress' sense that States should
maintain regulatory authority over fracking on State and private lands.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this
important piece of legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I welcome everyone to the first installment of House
Republicans' fulfillment of their misguided, billionaire-funded, pro-
polluter, drill, baby, drill agenda.
I like Valentine's Day as much as anyone. I don't mean to be cynical,
but what I don't do is introduce empty love letters to polluting
industries masquerading as legislation. That is what we are here to do
today. This bill we are considering is one massive letter to Big Oil
signed by the House GOP.
Meanwhile, Americans are grappling with the actual fallout from the
White House's unconstitutional, illegal freeze on Federal funding
across dozens of agencies and tariffs on our allies that will increase
energy costs and inflation.
Instead of addressing all of these things, we are here today with a
little love letter for Valentine's Day from House Republicans to Big
Oil.
H.R. 26, the Protecting American Energy Production Act, pretends to
ban Presidential fracking bans. Let me be clear: This bill is a
solution in search of a nonexistent problem. President Trump is not
going to ban fracking. President Biden didn't ban fracking. No
President, past or present, has banned fracking.
Of course, now we do have President Trump. Democrats are not election
deniers. We acknowledge that President Trump won the election. He is
our President, and he loves fracking. Who are we kidding by passing
this bill pretending to stop him from banning fracking?
If Republicans really want to push back on Presidential power and
assert congressional rights, that would be interesting. We would love
to work with Republicans on something like that.
We could start with the fact that President Trump has unleashed his
unelected buddy, billionaire Elon Musk, to do all kinds of things in
the first few weeks of his administration that ought to offend the
sensibilities of the Article I branch of government, like blocking
funds lawfully enacted by Congress that should be helping hardworking
families and protecting communities from wildfires and droughts; firing
civil servants working on behalf of the country and inspectors general
charged with rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse; attacking civil
rights and disability protections that Congress enacted into law; and
attempting to abolish USAID, an agency that might not be familiar to
many Americans but is incredibly important to American interests. It
advances U.S. global leadership all over the world and counters the
malign influence of Russia and China.
We are here on the House floor to give Republicans a stage to gush
over the oil and gas industry. This is political theater at its worst.
Instead of addressing real crises like the climate crisis or the
crushing cost of living for American families, Republicans are wasting
everyone's time banning imaginary fracking bans, claiming it will
somehow lower costs for communities and small businesses, but it won't.

What we are about to see is Republicans previewing their undying
devotion and the many favors they are going to offer to Big Oil in the
months to come. Let's review a couple of facts. The United States is
already the largest producer of oil in the world. We are producing more
oil and gas than ever before. In fact, we are producing more than any
country in history.
What do we have to show for it? How is that working out for us? We
are still facing volatile energy prices because we are exporting record
amounts of fossil fuel and because fossil fuels are global commodities
vulnerable to international price shocks. The fossil fuel industry will
do whatever it takes to make the most money, even if that is exporting
its products in ways that increase costs for American consumers.
There is a cost to this industry joyride. Communities living near
this record-breaking production are bearing the brunt of fossil fuel
pollution, and their health and well-being are paying the price.
The United States should be leading the way to a new, cleaner future.
Instead, we are drilling deeper into this catastrophe.
It is not as if Big Oil is hurting right now. The oil and gas
industry enjoys $15 billion in subsidies from American taxpayers each
year, and that is just the direct handouts. When you factor in health
and environmental impacts because taxpayers pick up the tab for all of
that, the United States spends $757 billion propping up the fossil fuel
industry every single year.
What do we get in return for all of this generosity? It sure seems
like unrequited love because Big Oil has been colluding illegally with
foreign cartels to purposely drive up gas prices for American
consumers, increasing inflation and padding their pockets along the
way.
Big Oil doesn't need any more favors. What it needs is to be held
accountable. That didn't stop President Trump from asking for a billion
dollars from the oil and gas industry during the campaign.
We are going to see Big Oil billionaires ask for more tax breaks and
deregulation every day for the next two Congresses, but this bill is
particularly absurd. If nothing else, the debate over this love letter
to Big Oil makes one thing clear: House Republicans are more interested
in passing love notes to Big Oil than in holding Big Oil accountable.
During the fracking process, oil and gas companies inject a high-
pressure mixture of water, sand, and toxic chemicals into the ground to
extract fossil fuels. It is a dirty business, yet for years, there have
been loopholes around it to boost the industry's profits even further
while leaving communities vulnerable to pollution.
I will highlight some examples. All industries, if they want to
inject toxic pollutants underground, have to comply with the Safe
Drinking Water Act. This makes sure that drinking water resources and
public health are protected, which fracking is not. Fracking companies
aren't subject to the Safe Drinking Water Act regulations. They don't
have to disclose any of the toxic chemicals that could seep into your
drinking water.

{time} 0930

Another example: Under the Clean Air Act, we can aggregate smaller
nearby sources of pollution that can be regulated together to protect
public health. That is something the Clean Air Act does that applies to
all other industries but not from oil and gas development. They have a
special exception.
Now, what about the Clean Water Act? Well, that has provisions to
prevent polluted stormwater runoff from contaminating water sources,
except if that runoff comes from oil and gas facilities.
These are just a few of the loopholes that this industry enjoys,
loopholes that have real impacts on public health, especially
children's health.
Studies have found that exposure to fracking and associated chemicals
can lead to low birth weight for babies, preterm births, congenital
abnormalities, asthma, and even certain childhood cancers.
We should be able to agree that protecting children from these
impacts and ensuring that communities have clean air to breathe and
clean water to drink should be our priorities, not sending love letters
to Big Oil.
Unfortunately, this bill and the many other giveaways that are going
to be coming our way in this Congress will not protect these
communities.

[[Page H563]]

Madam Speaker, I strongly oppose this legislation, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Fracking has been challenged. It has been challenged by the Biden
administration, and fortunately, the courts stepped in and said that
you can't regulate fracking to the BLM. If you look at what our
abundant clean supply of natural gas in the United States has done, it
has allowed us to reduce emissions more than any country in the world.
We produce the cleanest, most reliable gas in the world with a 40
percent cleaner carbon footprint than what Russia produces. Natural gas
not only provides jobs and energy here at home, but it can be a source
of national security to help bolster our partners around the world.
We are blessed with natural gas from the Permian Basin in west Texas
and New Mexico to the Marcellus and Utica shale plays in Pennsylvania,
Ohio, and New York. I believe those two combined are the largest
natural gas field in the world.
We have a tremendous resource that we can use to do many good things,
and if fracking were banned, that resource goes away.
Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Pfluger), the lead sponsor of the bill.
Mr. PFLUGER. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for bringing this
bill to the floor. The American public spoke loud and clear on November
5. They said energy was on the ballot. They said that the hilarity and
the fraudulent approach that the Biden administration took towards
energy policy was wholly rejected.
Madam Speaker, we are in a new day and thank goodness we are. I
represent the Permian Basin, Midland and Odessa, Texas, and for 4
years, this community was demonized, demonized, by the President,
demonized by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, demonized
for the work that they did to bring affordable, reliable energy to this
country. They did so with an all-out assault.
I am proud today to support my legislation, H.R. 26, the Protecting
American Energy Production Act. This is on behalf of every one of my
constituents in Midland and Odessa, Texas, who provide the very pen
that is being used by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, who
provide the cell phones and the cosmetics and the personal protective
gear that goes into an emergency room. They are not just using liquid
fuels, but using a safe technology, hydraulic fracturing, which was
completely falsely characterized briefly this morning by my colleague
on the other side of the aisle.
In 2019, America became the number one oil and gas producer, and it
is wholly in part due to the shale revolution and the technology of
being able to environmentally friendly extract this product and produce
it here domestically for our use and to ship it to our allies and our
partners around the world.
After 4 years of the previous administration's outright assault on
American energy, it is critical now that we codify and that we work
tirelessly to restore some integrity and some character to this
American energy dominance and pass meaningful legislation that will
unleash American energy and create jobs for hardworking Americans.
My legislation that is being considered today is a necessary first
step in reversing the Biden administration's war on energy and
preventing the Federal Government from banning the use of hydraulic
fracturing.
Fracking is safe. It is clean. It is an effective way to produce
affordable energy and to strengthen our national security. By ensuring
its continued use, we can reestablish our global energy leadership. We
can keep costs low for consumers, every consumer, and we can drive
further technological advancements in the industry.
This bill advances President Trump's rightful position, his pro-
energy, pro-American outlook on energy, to restore our position as the
top producer in the world. Instead of allowing Russia, Iran, and
Venezuela to do so, we are going to produce it here.
I thank my constituents for the fact that even though you were
demonized, even though you were made to feel like you weren't doing
something that was worthwhile, you did. You stood up, and you did it in
the face of adversity.
Even at the end of the campaign season in 2024, then-candidate for
President Kamala Harris in a debate said that she was pro-fracking. So
it is hard to believe that anybody would actually vote against this
legislation today because that was the platform of my colleagues on the
other side of the aisle.
Today is an opportunity to bring us together, Republicans and
Democrats, to codify what we both know has been a major advancement.
It is time to end the bans and unleash our lands. It is time to come
together. I am proud to work with our colleagues on the other side of
the aisle because I know this will be a bipartisan bill. I know that
there will be many Democrats who vote for this. I am glad that we can
do this.

I thank the chairman for bringing H.R. 26 to the floor. I fully
support it, and I urge my colleagues to also support it.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Colorado (Ms. DeGette).
Ms. DeGETTE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the
Protecting American Energy Production Act.
Now, as a Coloradan from an energy-producing State, I don't oppose
fracking, and frankly, opposition to fracking is not in the Democratic
agenda. However, I think we can all agree that fracking must be done
safely and with transparency.
This bill would allow natural gas producers to keep abusing loopholes
that allow them to hide dangerous chemical components in their fracking
fluid, and that is something I don't think any of us should support.
Having served as the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security in the last
Congress, I have worked closely on this issue for many years. I have
introduced legislation that would ensure that our communities would be
safe from the dangerous chemicals that are often used in fracking
fluid.
Fracking releases thousands of harmful chemicals that poison our
drinking water and pollute our air, including hydrogen sulfide, which
causes nausea, vomiting, and headaches; benzene, a known carcinogen;
toxic metals; acids; and even diesel fuel.
A significant number of scientific studies prove negative health
effects like cancers, asthma, and birth complications are caused by
fracking chemicals. These chemicals particularly affect the most
vulnerable in our society, including children, people who are pregnant,
the elderly, lower-income communities, and communities of color.
For example, those who gave birth while living near a fracking site
had children who are two to three times more likely to be diagnosed
with leukemia between the ages of 2 and 7 than those who were not
exposed.
For older adults, a study found that living near fracking sites in
Pennsylvania during its so-called fracking boom between 2002 and 2015
were more likely to be hospitalized for cardiovascular disease than
those in neighboring States where fracking was banned.
What complicates our ability to regulate these hazardous chemicals is
that only in retrospect can we assess the damage that is being done in
the name of oil and gas production.
It was just 2 years ago that scientists were able to conclude the
extent of harm caused by the fracking fluid in 2016, that was almost 10
years ago.
A study found it caused 410,000 asthma flare-ups; 2,200 new cases of
childhood asthma; and 7,500 excess deaths, costing $77 billion in
health impacts.
Now, these examples are only a drop in the bucket.
We don't even have accurate numbers of just how many Americans are
affected because the law prioritizes polluters over people by
protecting the exact chemical makeup of fracking fluid that fracking
companies call ``proprietary information.''
It has been proven that fracking chemical disclosure requirements
lead to significant declines in the use of hazardous chemicals and
better water quality.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Malliotakis). The time of the
gentlewoman has expired.

[[Page H564]]

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from Colorado an
additional 30 seconds.
Ms. DeGETTE. Madam Speaker, there have been significant declines in
the use of hazardous chemicals and better water quality.
Rather than passing this bill, which only protects oil and gas
producers, we should require more transparency to the public.
Families shouldn't have to choose between their health and their
house just because it is close to a drilling site.
I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation and work in a
bipartisan way to make sure that where we do fracking it is done
safely.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
The benefits that clean American energy, reliable, affordable energy,
has on health benefits are too numerous to even get into in a
discussion here today. It saves lives not just in providing energy and
heat but in providing the many materials that are made from oil and gas
in the United States.
Even the Obama administration's EPA found that fracking has no
``widespread systemic impacts on drinking water resources in the United
States.'' No evidence has arisen that the practice is dangerous, and to
say anything else is simply fear-mongering and pandering to the radical
left that would rather rely on Iran, Russia, and Venezuela for energy.
Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr.
Stauber).
Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 26, this
bipartisan Protecting American Energy Production Act, which will pass
the House.
Just 20 years ago, we were afraid we were nearing the end of U.S. oil
and gas production, then came hydraulic fracturing and the beginning of
the shale revolution.
Hydraulic fracturing brought energy security to Americans and made
the United States an energy exporter for the first time just a few
years ago.
With hydraulic fracturing, we are increasing our economic and our
national security while also increasing the economic and national
security of our closest allies.
For every barrel of oil that we export, we are displacing a dirtier
barrel of oil produced by adversarial nations. Thanks to hydraulic
fracturing, our energy supply continues to get cleaner.
My colleagues on the other side of the aisle will likely argue today
that this bill is a solution in search of a problem. They will ask: Why
are we doing this if the Trump administration doesn't plan on banning
fracking?

Frankly, Madam Speaker, this bill isn't about this administration, it
is an insurance policy to protect against future anti-oil, anti-gas,
and anti-American energy administrations.
We are coming off the tail end of the most anti-oil and -gas and
anti-traditional energy administration in this Nation's history, and I
am afraid that this was just a preview of what could happen down the
line.
That is why we are acting today. We are voting to protect Americans'
access to reliable, affordable, and clean American energy no matter
which President is in the White House.
We need to unlock our energy awesomeness. We need to continue our
progress on energy.
Madam Speaker, just a few minutes ago, my colleague across the aisle
talked about clean, affordable, reliable energy. I want to remind my
colleagues that I live in northern Minnesota. Last week it was 40
degrees below, and we just had to turn on the heat, which is natural
gas. I didn't have to worry about my six children--the youngest being
3--being frozen to death, or my pipes freezing.

{time} 0945

I didn't have to worry about my mother, who is 90 years old, and my
father, who is 91, freezing in 40 degrees below zero turning up the
heat with clean, affordable, and reliable energy.
I have no idea why my colleagues on the other side of the aisle
wouldn't support this bipartisan legislation for American energy,
American technology, and American workers.
Madam Speaker, I support this legislation.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, it is interesting. I hear my colleague from Minnesota
saying that he is interested in constraining Presidential power, just
not this President, and apparently only when it applies to Presidents
who might go against the interests of Big Oil. I guess at least there
is some semblance of interest in defending Article I, but it is a
pretty twisted remnant of what should be Congress' Article I authority.
If we really want to work on constraining Presidential power, there
is a lot we could do together. Right now this administration is
illegally blocking funds enacted by Congress to help hardworking
Americans, funding meant for wildfire management and water
infrastructure projects at a time when communities in California are
still reeling from disaster. Instead, we are debating this.
This administration has fired inspectors general from at least 18
Federal agencies without warning and without explanation in clear
violation of the law which requires 30 days' notice to Congress and a
substantive explanation. There was a time when Members of both parties
would be furious over a flouting of the law like that. However, today
it doesn't seem to matter to our colleagues across the aisle.
These independent watchdogs exist for one purpose: To prevent waste,
fraud, and abuse and to hold Presidential power in check, working
closely with Congress. Apparently that doesn't matter anymore.
We know the administration is actively trying to abolish USAID, a
nonpartisan agency established by Congress which supports nutrition and
other basic humanitarian assistance all over the world for people who
need it. We know that NOAA could be next on the chopping block, a
science-based agency that people all over this country depend on every
day to get weather alerts and to save lives. However, we are on the
floor debating this love letter to Big Oil instead of standing up for
Congress' Article I authority and holding Presidential power in check.
Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Phoenix,
Arizona (Ms. Ansari).
Ms. ANSARI. Madam Speaker, today, I rise in strong opposition to H.R.
26. My constituents sent me to Congress to fight for them for clean
water, clean air, job security, and lower prices. This legislation
accomplishes absolutely none of those things.
H.R. 26 says that the President cannot issue a ban on fracking unless
authorized by Congress.
It is obviously a little bit ridiculous that President Trump is not
going to ban fracking. In fact, no President has ever banned fracking.
What this bill is, is just an opportunity for some House Republicans to
signal their support for their Big Oil allies and their billionaire
friends.
The United States is already producing more oil than ever, more than
any other country in history. Republicans' dirty drilling agenda will
not make America any more energy dominant, and it won't drive prices
down.
If we could drill our way out of the affordability crisis, then we
would have already done so. The answer is not more oil. When we drill
more and more, the only ones who benefit are those at the top, the
CEOs, the multinational corporations, and the already rich billionaires
who are profiting off of the American people.
In fact, several Federal Trade Commission complaints and class action
lawsuits from last year say that Big Oil CEOs have been illegally
colluding with each other and with some of our adversaries to keep
prices high and profits up. Big Oil is already getting at least $15
billion in subsidies from the Federal Government.
What more could they possibly want? This dirty drilling agenda has
never been about lowering costs. Less than 3 weeks in, this
administration's true colors are already shining. After promising lower
prices for everyday Americans, the President is threatening a trade war
with our closest allies which will drive up the costs to produce
everything from energy to cars to technology. The administration is
threatening mass deportations of people who are part of the workforce
and contributing to our economy, and the Republican-led Congress is
plotting how to cut spending on healthcare and clean

[[Page H565]]

energy in order to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.
Madam Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R.
26.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Latta).
Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 26, the
Protecting American Energy Production Act, to prevent a ban on the use
of hydraulic fracturing.
The shale revolution has unleashed American innovation, specifically
hydraulic fracturing, and has led to the U.S. becoming an energy
superpower, stabilizing global markets and lowering prices for
consumers, farmers, and manufacturers.
In 2019, economists estimated this productivity reduced the domestic
price of natural gas by 63 percent and led to a 45 percent decrease in
the wholesale price of electricity. This resulted in an estimated
savings of $203 billion annually for American consumers.
Unfortunately, some States have implemented misguided policies to ban
or limit the use of fracking. It is imperative we protect this
technology from weaponization, especially as global energy demand is
projected to skyrocket.
Additionally, natural gas will be essential to ensuring our ability
to meet the massive energy demand from the data centers coming online
and lead the world in artificial intelligence development. More
American energy means a safer, cleaner, and more advanced world.

In the last Congress, I asked every witness who came before us in the
Committee on Energy and Commerce's Energy Subcommittee if we needed
more energy or less, and every one of them said that we have to have
more energy.
Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas' 11th District for
his leadership. I ask my colleagues to support this legislation. I
thank my friend, the chairman, for yielding the time.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, do you know what is bad for energy prices here in the
United States? This LNG export bonanza that my friends across the aisle
support that President Trump is unleashing with one of his executive
orders restarting LNG exports to non-free trade agreement countries.
Unconstrained exports of LNG could increase wholesale domestic natural
gas prices here in the United States by over 30 percent. Households
could pay $100 more per year by midcentury, and congressional
Republicans are threatening to repeal clean energy tax credits which
could result in a 10 percent jump in electricity costs. Let's not kid
each other about who cares about energy prices for American consumers.
Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from
Michigan (Ms. Tlaib).
Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, this is just the latest in a long line of
loopholes and handouts for Big Oil executives to get richer as the rest
of us suffer.
Fracking is practically unregulated at the Federal level because 20
years ago then-Vice President Dick Cheney, the former CEO of
Halliburton, inserted a loophole into the Energy Act of 2005,
explicitly exempting fracking chemicals from EPA regulation under the
Safe Drinking Water Act.
Think about that, Madam Speaker. That means that the oil and gas
industry doesn't need to disclose any of the toxic chemicals that are
seeping into our drinking water. Halliburton, of course, is one of the
largest oil and gas companies in the world and also just happens to be
behind most of the major fracking worldwide.
For the last 20 years, we have been stuck with the so-called
Halliburton loophole, a terrible reminder of the revolving door of oil
money in politics and how Big Oil buys its way into the Halls of
Congress and the White House every single day. In fact, our new
Secretary of Energy is the founder and former CEO of Liberty Energy,
another fracking company.
Moreover, the Halliburton loophole isn't the only giveaway that
fracking benefits from. Under the Clean Water Act, there are provisions
to prevent polluted stormwater runoff from contaminating our waters
unless--there is an exemption--the runoff comes from oil and gas
development facilities.
Republicans want to give an even bigger handout to Big Oil with this
toxic legislation. They are sending the message to communities all
across the country, our residents, that corporate polluters' profits
are more important than their health and their own drinking water. It
is clear that they are doing this because it has been polluters over
people for Republicans 20 years ago, and it is polluters over people
now.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote against this
environmental destruction and protect our drinking water that is in
crisis right now throughout our country.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I think a lot of the general public
doesn't realize that natural gas goes into a lot more than just
producing energy but it is, in essence, the main ingredient in
agriculture, and it is the main ingredient that can help lower our food
prices as most fertilizer is made from natural gas. When we have
abundant, affordable natural gas, then that means we have more abundant
and affordable fertilizer so that we can grow more crops and keep
prices low.
Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania
(Mr. Thompson), who is the chairman of the Agriculture Committee and
who has seen firsthand the benefits of fracking in the Marcellus shale.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for
yielding me time.
Absolutely, living in the heart of Marcellus and Utica shale, I have
seen hydrofracking actually evolve and improve with the technology
becoming environmentally friendly. My friends who would argue against
it obviously have not had the opportunity to spend any time with it.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 26, the Protecting
American Energy Production Act. This legislation will ensure that we
deliver on our promise to Americans to lower energy costs and end the
war that the previous administration waged on our domestic energy
production.
I have witnessed firsthand how fracking or hydrofracking has
revitalized communities, created countless jobs, and strengthened our
energy independence since the discovery of the Marcellus shale and the
Utica shale in Pennsylvania. Across my district, this industry has been
a lifeline, bringing economic prosperity where it once was scarce.

Fracking has transformed Pennsylvania into a national leader in
energy production, unlocking vast reserves of natural gas that power
our homes, fuel our businesses, and drive down our energy costs. Across
the Commonwealth, once struggling communities are thriving again.
Small businesses flourish as demand for goods and services surges,
and thousands of hardworking men and women who depend on energy
production for family-sustaining wages are planting roots and investing
in these communities.
Beyond local benefits, the energy boom we will experience under the
Trump administration's America First policies will strengthen our
position on the world stage. By tapping into our domestic resources, we
reduce reliance on foreign energy, bolstering national security and
stabilizing global markets. American natural gas significantly reduces
carbon emissions compared to foreign production, proving that economic
growth and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.
Despite these undeniable benefits, out-of-touch politicians have
sought to ban or heavily restrict this essential industry.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentleman.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. A prohibition on fracking would
devastate rural America, wiping out jobs, reducing tax revenues, and
driving up energy costs for working families.
Madam Speaker, we cannot allow misguided policies to erase the
progress we have made. That is why I urge my colleagues to support the
Protecting American Energy Production Act before us today which will
ensure the long-term stability of fracking for years to come.

[[Page H566]]

Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Casten).
Mr. CASTEN. Madam Speaker, we are in a constitutional crisis. The
President of the United States is trying to delete the 14th Amendment,
ignoring Congress' constitutional power of the purse to illegally block
Federal spending, exposing the identities of our intelligence officers
to our enemies, and sending Elon Musk's unvetted minions into our
financial systems to steal Americans' private information.
In the normal course, these violations would be prosecuted by the
Department of Justice, but their leadership has put personal politics
over the rule of law. In the normal course, Congress would act as a
check and balance, but Republican leadership in both Chambers is most
charitably described as missing in action. We are only 19 days in.
The White House is now dismantling USAID, pulling back on our soft
power at the precise moment when China and Russia are trying to
increase their influence over global affairs.
Is this because of social media conspiracies, foreign influence
operations, or just because Elon Musk is still angry that USAID helped
to topple apartheid in South Africa? There are no good answers to that
question.

{time} 1000

They are targeting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, stripping our ability to make weather forecasts in the
wake of rising seas, surging hurricanes, and ever more devastating
wildfires. Take away our ability to give advance notice of those
storms, and Americans will die.
They are opposing competitive markets, as they refuse to enact
existing laws to build out EV charging networks and renewable energy
because my colleagues on the other side of the aisle know that to do so
would be to bring resources onto our system that would further erode
the market share of more expensive and dirtier energy.
Madam Speaker, they have now stolen data from the Treasury Department
files so that Elon Musk, a man who gives Nazi salutes and actively
campaigns for the neo-Nazi party in Germany, can access personal
information that could potentially be used to target his political
enemies. This is the very foundation of fascism, all of which leaves us
in this Chamber with a choice.
As we sit here on the fulcrum of history, we can act to make these 19
days a footnote to an otherwise noble history of these United States,
or we can go to our graves knowing that we did nothing during the 19
days that forever destroyed this 250-year-old experiment.
We can choose evil in this moment. We can choose to ignore everything
that Jesus preached in the Sermon on the Mount as we persecute the meek
so we can enrich the merciless.
We can choose cowardice.
We can give $1 to a homeless man on the way to work so we can take
away hundreds of millions of dollars from housing assistance once we
get there, telling ourselves that to do anything else would be to cause
our seat to be filled by a less compassionate soul.
We can decide that if we aren't in leadership, then our job is just
to follow orders. Sometimes that excuse works. It didn't at Nuremberg.
There is no difference between any of those choices. They all lead to
the same outcome.
For this reason, I will be offering a fourth option. At the
appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to
committee.
If the House rules permitted, I would have offered this motion with
an important amendment to this bill to say that it shall not take
effect until the illegal freeze of taxpayer dollars that Congress
appropriated to the Department of the Interior, the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, and other agencies has stopped; civil
rights and employment protections for nonpartisan Federal public
servants are restored; and DOGE and billionaires like Elon Musk no
longer have unlawful access to Federal Government systems and the
private, sensitive data of taxpaying Americans.
Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my
amendment into the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion
to recommit.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. CASTEN. Madam Speaker, that motion is a chance for all of my
colleagues to choose leadership, to choose patriotism, to choose to
honor the oath that we all took to the Constitution, to be remembered
and honored by future generations, and, in the words of William F.
Buckley, to stand athwart history and yell stop.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the
gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).
Ms. BOEBERT. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for bringing this
bill to the floor. I also thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger)
for being the lead sponsor on this bill.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Protecting American Energy
Production Act. This bill would protect American oil and natural gas
production by preventing any President from declaring a moratorium on
hydraulic fracturing.
Joe Biden waged an all-out war 4 years ago on American energy
production. Shutting down the Keystone XL pipeline, canceling oil and
gas leases on millions of acres, locking up Federal lands, threatening
Colorado energy jobs, canceling Colorado energy jobs, and countless
other anti-energy measures have contributed to gas prices and inflation
reaching record levels.
The American people spoke in November. They spoke loudly, and they
spoke very clearly. They resoundingly said: Drill, baby, drill.
I am proud of President Trump's executive orders to get our country
back in the right direction for drilling, but it is up to us in the
House now to do our part and pass legislation to codify what President
Trump is doing boldly each and every day in the White House.
I am proud of his new Secretary of the Department of Energy, Chris
Wright, from Colorado, and Department of the Interior Secretary Doug
Burgum. They have already started to make good on their promises to
unleash American energy and put energy workers in my home State of
Colorado back to work.
We are tired of relying on OPEC and our adversaries for energy. It is
time to bring back and rely on the American roughneck. It is time to
terminate the green new scam. President Trump is committed to doing
that.
We hear about subsidies for oil and gas from my colleagues on the
other side of the aisle, but what the American people aren't hearing
about is the $235 billion to clean energy production tax credits, $110
billion to clean energy investment tax credits, EV tax credits at $316
billion, $203 billion to advanced manufacturing production tax credits,
and many more tax credits equaling over $1 trillion.
We can end the green new scam. We can bring back oil and gas. My
colleague, a freshman from Colorado, Congressman Jeff Hurd, has the
LOCAL Act to bring the BLM headquarters back to Colorado so we have
boots on the ground, and we can drill, baby, drill.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).
Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I just find it unbelievable that we have
called up a bill today to require the President to have congressional
approval to stop fracking when we don't ask the President to not
impound funds that have been appropriated through Article I by
Congress, which is how they are supposed to be appropriated, and when
we don't ask the President to not fire the IGs when legislation
requires him to give 30 days' notice to Congress before he does so and
to give good reason for it when the IGs are there to find fraud, abuse,
and waste of government moneys.
That is more important and adds up to more and more dollars that the
IGs find, and there are other areas where our authority has been
stepped on and violated.
This is just insane that we are doing this today.
Madam Speaker, I saw where one of Mr. Musk's followers resigned
because he made statements that he was racist before racism was cool
and that he would never marry anybody that didn't look like him and of
his own race. It sounds like somebody who was inspired by pre-apartheid
South Africa.

[[Page H567]]

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Carter).
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
yielding.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Protecting
American Energy Production Act.
Unleashing American energy dominance is one of the most important
tasks facing Congress right now. Restricting the flow of American
energy over the last 4 years has forced the price of everything,
especially fueling our cars and heating our homes, to skyrocket.
Finally, with Republicans back in control of both Chambers of
Congress and the Presidency, we can follow through on the American
people's mandate to unleash American energy.
Under the Biden administration, the attacks against energy dominance
were crippling. Even in his final days in office, President Biden tried
to ban American energy by stopping almost all new U.S. offshore
drilling projects.
Congressman Pfluger's bill is a commonsense piece of legislation that
will allow individual States to maintain control of their own fracking
policies and prevent executive overreach.
America is a large country with diverse energy needs. A one-size-
fits-all strategy might make life easier for Washington bureaucrats,
but it does not work for the American people.
This bill simply acknowledges that States, not the Federal
Government, know what energy sources are best for them and allows
fracking to be a tool in a State's tool chest. This will help lower
costs for families who spent 4 years under the Biden-Harris
administration having to choose between filling up their cars and
paying for groceries.
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues and my friend, Representative
Pfluger, for introducing this essential piece of legislation. It has my
full support.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Weber).
Mr. WEBER of Texas. Madam Speaker, my Gulf Coast district in Texas,
better known as the Energy Capital of the World, depends on
Representative Pfluger's district, the fracking district, to keep our
energy industry running.
I guess one could say that while most districts lack it,
Representative Pfluger's district fracks it, and my district cracks it.
This is a part of the energy process.
Hydraulic fracturing isn't just important. It is absolutely critical.
It is the very reason why the Democrats talk about how we lead the
world in all the oil and drilling and stuff we have done because it is
the reason American producers of oil and natural gas are leading the
way. It is because of fracking.
It does things like my colleague talked about. It keeps the heater
going in the winter and keeps the air-conditioner going in the summer.
How about it keeps the lights on, lowers energy costs, and creates
jobs, all the while strengthening our economy? It is not just energy
security. It is national security.
Leave it to our friends across the aisle to try to shut it down. We
are going to make sure, for which I thank the chairman and August
Pfluger, that that never happens. For the future of this great Nation,
we must stop radical, climate-obsessed Presidents from ever placing a
Federal moratorium on fracking because that would destroy America as we
know it.
Thankfully, we now have President Trump back in the White House, a
leader who actually understands just how vital our energy industry is.
We also have Chris Wright at the Department of Energy, a man who helped
fuel America's fracking revolution and made us the energy powerhouse we
are today.

Make no mistake, the Green New Deal crowd isn't giving up yet. The
second they get the chance, they will be right back at it, trying to
dismantle our oil and gas industry.
That is why I proudly support my good friend Representative Pfluger's
bill, the Protecting American Energy Production Act, to make sure that
fracking remains protected, no matter who sits in the Oval Office.
Madam Speaker, we all know that energy security is national security.
I hope my friends realize that.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman
from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice).
Mrs. BICE. Madam Speaker, I am proud to support H.R. 26, the
Protecting American Energy Production Act.
The previous administration made it their mission to undercut our
energy sector, adding burdensome regulations at every opportunity.
In my home State of Oklahoma, upstream oil and gas activities
contribute to over 278,000 jobs and bring in billions of dollars in
revenue.
American families deserve access to reliable and affordable domestic
energy. According to the America First Policy Institute, hydraulic
fracturing saves Americans $203 billion annually in reduced energy
costs. It is also important to remember that the argument against
updated drilling technology is built on misinformation.
Under the Obama administration, the EPA found that hydraulic
fracturing has no widespread systemic impacts on resources in the U.S.
Modern drilling technology techniques are safe, effective, and crucial
to maintaining our energy independence.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 26,
and I thank Mr. Pfluger for bringing this forward.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Balderson).
Mr. BALDERSON. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Westerman for yielding
to me.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 26, the Protecting
American Energy Production Act.
This bill is critically important to supporting Ohio's energy
producers and restoring American energy dominance long into the future.
This bill supports the current framework that gives primary authority
over regulating fracking to the States and prevents any future
President from unilaterally banning fracking.
The shale revolution has been a game changer for the Appalachian
region and my congressional district. In fact, Utica shale leases have
boosted central and southeastern Ohio's economy by nearly $1 billion.
We all saw the rules that the Biden administration pushed out over
the last 4 years, including efforts to mandate EVs for American
consumers, blocking new LNG exports, and shutting down our most
reliable power plants.
This bill makes crystal clear that no future administration can
decide to ban fracking on a whim.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
I close by making one thing very clear. Even though fracking can
undeniably present very real health threats and risks to the public,
the reality is that no President has ever tried to ban it, and
President Trump is certainly not going to ban it. He absolutely loves
fracking.

{time} 1015

Why are we here? Why are we having this totally performative debate?
This bill and this debate serves two purposes for my colleagues
across the aisle. First, it is a chance to provide an assurance, a love
letter, to Big Oil, telling them that House Republicans will have their
backs, an early Valentine's Day gift, if you will.
Second, it is a distraction. House Republicans are distracting the
American people by saying they are doing something. To put it in
theological terms that my friends might appreciate, it is like Jesus is
coming, look busy.
However, as we have laid out, this will do nothing for energy costs.
The entire drill, baby, drill agenda will do nothing for inflation
because the industry is already producing record amounts of oil and
gas. They are doing more than that. They are purposefully and illegally
price gouging Americans, colluding with cartels. They are not
interested in lowering costs for the American people.
This is also a distraction from the trade war that President Trump is
starting to unleash, including against close allies of the United
States, something that is going to painfully raise

[[Page H568]]

prices for everyday Americans. It is a distraction from the President's
threats and attacks on democracy.
We are sliding down the slippery slope to dictatorship, Mr. Speaker,
and we are here debating a love letter to Big Oil.
Just under 3 weeks into this administration, it is clear, and it is
no surprise, who the Republican leaders in Congress are for. They are
for billionaires. They are for Big Oil, corporations, and polluters.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to defend people over polluters and
vote ``no'' on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I will cite a 2019 study by the U.S. Chamber
of Commerce's Global Energy Institute. Their research shows a ban on
fracking would have eliminated 19 million jobs between 2021 and 2025,
while simultaneously reducing the U.S. gross domestic product by $7.1
trillion over the same period. The efforts of a ban like this cannot be
overstated.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the link to the study by the
Global Energy Institute. The link is: <a href='https://www.uschamber.com/assets/
documents/gei/hf__ban__report__final.pdf'>https://www.uschamber.com/assets/
documents/gei/hf__ban__report__final.pdf</a>
Mr. Speaker, as we think about what that ban would have done just
between the years 2021 and 2025, what if the Obama administration had
been successful, what if their BLM had been successful in banning
fracking on Federal lands, America would not have led the world in
reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
We would have seen even higher energy costs. The cost of food would
have gone up. It could have changed the course of our country and not
in a good way had this ban gone into effect.
The Global Energy Institute's research also shows that over the same
2021 to 2025 timeframe, energy prices would have skyrocketed with
natural gas prices rising by 324 percent. This would cause household
energy bills for the average American to quadruple and the cost of
living to increase by $5,661 per year.
Additionally, the price of gasoline would double and government
revenues would plummet by almost $1.9 trillion.
Let's think about that: $7 trillion of GDP. We know from history that
about 17\1/2\ percent of the GDP goes right into the Federal
Government's tax revenues. This would have driven the deficit much
higher had a hydraulic fracking ban been put in place.
It could also trigger a global recession. In 1973, when Saudi Arabia
implemented an oil embargo and roughly 7 percent of the global oil
supply was removed from the markets, world oil prices skyrocketed 400
percent.
With these sobering facts in mind, I urge my colleagues to support
H.R. 26, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Obernolte). All time for debate has
expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 5, the previous question is ordered on
the bill.
The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was
read the third time.

Motion to Recommit

Mr. CASTEN. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to
recommit.
The Clerk read as follows:

Mr. Casten of Illinois moves to recommit the bill H.R. 26
to the Committee on Natural Resources.

The material previously referred to by Mr. Casten is as follows:
Mr. Casten of Illinois moves to recommit the bill H.R. 26
to the Committee on Natural Resources with instructions to
report the same back to the House forthwith, with the
following amendment:
Add at the end the following:

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

This Act shall not take effect until the illegal freeze of
taxpayer dollars congressionally appropriated to the
Department of the Interior, the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, and other agencies is stopped,
civil rights and employment protections for nonpartisan
Federal public servants are restored, and the Department of
Government Efficiency staff and unelected billionaires like
Elon Musk no longer have unlawful access to Federal
Government systems and the private, sensitive data of United
States citizens.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX, the
previous question is ordered on the motion to recommit.
The question is on the motion to recommit.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the noes appeared to have it.
Mr. CASTEN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, the Chair
will reduce to 5 minutes the minimum time for any electronic vote on
the question of passage.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 205,
nays 207, not voting 20, as follows:

[Roll No. 34]

YEAS--205

Adams
Aguilar
Amo
Ansari
Auchincloss
Balint
Barragan
Beatty
Bell
Beyer
Bishop
Bonamici
Brown
Brownley
Budzinski
Bynum
Carbajal
Carson
Carter (LA)
Casar
Case
Casten
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Cherfilus-McCormick
Chu
Cisneros
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Conaway
Connolly
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Craig
Crockett
Crow
Cuellar
Davids (KS)
Davis (IL)
Davis (NC)
Dean (PA)
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Deluzio
Dexter
Dingell
Doggett
Donalds
Elfreth
Escobar
Espaillat
Evans (PA)
Fields
Figures
Fletcher
Foster
Foushee
Frankel, Lois
Friedman
Frost
Garamendi
Garcia (CA)
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Gillen
Golden (ME)
Gomez
Gonzalez, V.
Goodlander
Gottheimer
Gray
Green, Al (TX)
Harder (CA)
Hayes
Himes
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Hoyle (OR)
Huffman
Ivey
Jackson (IL)
Jacobs
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (TX)
Kamlager-Dove
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kennedy (NY)
Khanna
Krishnamoorthi
Landsman
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latimer
Lee (NV)
Lee (PA)
Levin
Liccardo
Lieu
Lofgren
Lynch
Magaziner
Mannion
Matsui
McBath
McBride
McClain Delaney
McClellan
McCollum
McDonald Rivet
McGarvey
McGovern
McIver
Meeks
Menendez
Meng
Mfume
Min
Moore (WI)
Morelle
Morrison
Moskowitz
Moulton
Mrvan
Nadler
Neal
Neguse
Norcross
Ocasio-Cortez
Olszewski
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pelosi
Perez
Peters
Pocan
Pou
Pressley
Quigley
Ramirez
Randall
Raskin
Riley (NY)
Rivas
Ross
Ruiz
Ryan
Salinas
Sanchez
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schneider
Scholten
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Sewell
Sherman
Sherrill
Simon
Smith (WA)
Sorensen
Soto
Stansbury
Stanton
Stevens
Strickland
Subramanyam
Suozzi
Swalwell
Sykes
Takano
Thanedar
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tlaib
Tokuda
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres (NY)
Trahan
Tran
Turner (TX)
Underwood
Vargas
Vasquez
Veasey
Velazquez
Vindman
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Whitesides
Williams (GA)

NAYS--207

Aderholt
Alford
Allen
Amodei (NV)
Arrington
Babin
Bacon
Baird
Balderson
Barr
Barrett
Baumgartner
Bean (FL)
Begich
Bentz
Bice
Biggs (SC)
Bilirakis
Boebert
Bost
Brecheen
Bresnahan
Burchett
Burlison
Calvert
Cammack
Carey
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Cline
Cloud
Clyde
Cole
Collins
Comer
Crane
Crank
Crawford
Crenshaw
Davidson
De La Cruz
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Downing
Dunn (FL)
Edwards
Ellzey
Emmer
Estes
Evans (CO)
Ezell
Fallon
Fedorchak
Feenstra
Finstad
Fischbach
Fitzgerald
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Flood
Fong
Foxx
Franklin, Scott
Fry
Fulcher
Garbarino
Gill (TX)
Gimenez
Goldman (TX)
Gonzales, Tony
Gooden
Gosar
Graves
Green (TN)
Greene (GA)
Griffith
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Hageman
Hamadeh (AZ)
Haridopolos
Harrigan
Harris (MD)
Harris (NC)
Harshbarger
Hern (OK)
Higgins (LA)
Hill (AR)
Hinson
Houchin
Hudson
Huizenga
Hunt
Hurd (CO)
Issa
Jack
Jackson (TX)
James
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (OH)
Joyce (PA)
Kean
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
Kennedy (UT)
Kiggans (VA)
Kiley (CA)
Kim
Knott
Kustoff
LaHood
LaLota
LaMalfa
Langworthy
Latta
Lawler
Lee (FL)
Loudermilk
Lucas
Luttrell
Mace
Mackenzie
Malliotakis
Maloy
Mann
Massie
Mast
McCaul
McClain
McClintock
McCormick
McDowell
McGuire
Messmer
Meuser
Miller (IL)
Miller (OH)
Miller-Meeks
Mills
Moolenaar
Moore (AL)
Moore (NC)
Moore (UT)
Moore (WV)
Moran
Murphy
Nehls
Newhouse

[[Page H569]]

Norman
Nunn (IA)
Obernolte
Onder
Owens
Palmer
Perry
Pfluger
Reschenthaler
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rouzer
Roy
Rulli
Rutherford
Salazar
Scalise
Schmidt
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Self
Sessions
Shreve
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smucker
Spartz
Stauber
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Strong
Stutzman
Taylor
Tenney
Thompson (PA)
Tiffany
Timmons
Turner (OH)
Valadao
Van Drew
Van Duyne
Van Orden
Wagner
Walberg
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Westerman
Wied
Williams (TX)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
Yakym
Zinke

NOT VOTING--20

Bera
Bergman
Biggs (AZ)
Boyle (PA)
Buchanan
Ciscomani
DeSaulnier
Goldman (NY)
Grijalva
Jayapal
Leger Fernandez
Letlow
Luna
Miller (WV)
Mullin
Ogles
Pettersen
Pingree
Rose
Wilson (FL)

{time} 1048

Messrs. DAVIDSON, VAN DREW, Mrs. CAMMACK, and Mr. HILL of Arkansas
changed their vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
Mrs. TORRES of California, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mses. WASSERMAN
SCHULTZ and CRAIG, and Messrs. MRVAN, LANDSMAN, and GREEN of Texas
changed their vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the motion to recommit was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on passage of bill.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. This will be a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 226,
nays 188, not voting 19, as follows:

[Roll No. 35]

YEAS--226

Aderholt
Alford
Allen
Amodei (NV)
Arrington
Babin
Bacon
Baird
Balderson
Barr
Barrett
Baumgartner
Bean (FL)
Begich
Bentz
Bice
Biggs (SC)
Bilirakis
Bishop
Boebert
Bost
Brecheen
Bresnahan
Burchett
Burlison
Calvert
Cammack
Carey
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Cline
Cloud
Clyde
Cole
Collins
Comer
Correa
Costa
Crane
Crank
Crawford
Crenshaw
Cuellar
Davidson
De La Cruz
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Donalds
Downing
Dunn (FL)
Edwards
Ellzey
Emmer
Estes
Evans (CO)
Ezell
Fallon
Fedorchak
Feenstra
Finstad
Fischbach
Fitzgerald
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fletcher
Flood
Fong
Foxx
Franklin, Scott
Fry
Fulcher
Garbarino
Gill (TX)
Gimenez
Golden (ME)
Goldman (TX)
Gonzales, Tony
Gonzalez, V.
Gooden
Gosar
Graves
Gray
Green (TN)
Greene (GA)
Griffith
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Hageman
Hamadeh (AZ)
Haridopolos
Harrigan
Harris (MD)
Harris (NC)
Harshbarger
Hern (OK)
Higgins (LA)
Hill (AR)
Hinson
Houchin
Houlahan
Hudson
Huizenga
Hunt
Hurd (CO)
Issa
Jack
Jackson (TX)
James
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (SD)
Johnson (TX)
Jordan
Joyce (OH)
Joyce (PA)
Kaptur
Kean
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
Kennedy (UT)
Kiggans (VA)
Kiley (CA)
Kim
Knott
Kustoff
LaHood
LaLota
LaMalfa
Landsman
Langworthy
Latta
Lawler
Lee (FL)
Letlow
Loudermilk
Lucas
Luttrell
Mace
Mackenzie
Malliotakis
Maloy
Mann
Massie
Mast
McCaul
McClain
McClintock
McCormick
McDowell
McGuire
Messmer
Meuser
Miller (IL)
Miller (OH)
Miller-Meeks
Mills
Moolenaar
Moore (AL)
Moore (NC)
Moore (UT)
Moore (WV)
Moran
Murphy
Nehls
Newhouse
Norman
Nunn (IA)
Obernolte
Onder
Owens
Palmer
Perez
Perry
Pfluger
Reschenthaler
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rouzer
Roy
Rulli
Rutherford
Salazar
Scalise
Schmidt
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Self
Sessions
Shreve
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smucker
Spartz
Stauber
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Strong
Stutzman
Taylor
Tenney
Thompson (PA)
Tiffany
Timmons
Turner (OH)
Turner (TX)
Valadao
Van Drew
Van Duyne
Van Orden
Vasquez
Veasey
Wagner
Walberg
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Westerman
Wied
Williams (TX)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
Yakym
Zinke

NAYS--188

Adams
Aguilar
Amo
Ansari
Auchincloss
Balint
Barragan
Beatty
Bell
Beyer
Bonamici
Brown
Brownley
Budzinski
Bynum
Carbajal
Carson
Carter (LA)
Casar
Case
Casten
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Cherfilus-McCormick
Chu
Cisneros
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Conaway
Connolly
Courtney
Craig
Crockett
Crow
Davids (KS)
Davis (IL)
Davis (NC)
Dean (PA)
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Deluzio
Dexter
Dingell
Doggett
Elfreth
Escobar
Espaillat
Evans (PA)
Fields
Figures
Foster
Foushee
Frankel, Lois
Friedman
Frost
Garamendi
Garcia (CA)
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Gillen
Gomez
Goodlander
Gottheimer
Green, Al (TX)
Harder (CA)
Hayes
Himes
Horsford
Hoyer
Hoyle (OR)
Huffman
Ivey
Jackson (IL)
Jacobs
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Kamlager-Dove
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kennedy (NY)
Khanna
Krishnamoorthi
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latimer
Lee (NV)
Lee (PA)
Levin
Liccardo
Lieu
Lofgren
Lynch
Magaziner
Mannion
Matsui
McBath
McBride
McClain Delaney
McClellan
McCollum
McDonald Rivet
McGarvey
McGovern
McIver
Meeks
Menendez
Meng
Mfume
Min
Moore (WI)
Morelle
Morrison
Moskowitz
Moulton
Mrvan
Nadler
Neal
Neguse
Norcross
Ocasio-Cortez
Olszewski
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pelosi
Peters
Pocan
Pou
Pressley
Quigley
Ramirez
Randall
Raskin
Riley (NY)
Rivas
Ross
Ruiz
Ryan
Salinas
Sanchez
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schneider
Scholten
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Sewell
Sherman
Sherrill
Simon
Smith (WA)
Sorensen
Soto
Stansbury
Stanton
Stevens
Strickland
Subramanyam
Suozzi
Swalwell
Sykes
Takano
Thanedar
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tlaib
Tokuda
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres (NY)
Trahan
Tran
Underwood
Vargas
Velazquez
Vindman
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Whitesides
Williams (GA)

NOT VOTING--19

Bera
Bergman
Biggs (AZ)
Boyle (PA)
Buchanan
Ciscomani
DeSaulnier
Goldman (NY)
Grijalva
Jayapal
Leger Fernandez
Luna
Miller (WV)
Mullin
Ogles
Pettersen
Pingree
Rose
Wilson (FL)

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

The SPEAKER pro tempore (during the vote). There are 2 minutes
remaining.

{time} 1057

So the bill was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

PERSONAL EXPLANATION

Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, I missed the vote series today. Had I been
present, I would have voted yea on the Motion to Recommit on H.R. 26,
(Roll Call No. 34), and nay on Passage of H.R. 26, (Roll Call No. 35).

PERSONAL EXPLANATION

Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was unable to vote
today, as I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have
voted YEA on Roll Call No. 34, on the motion to recommit on H.R. 26,
the Protecting American Energy Production Act, and NAY on Roll Call No.
35, H.R. 26, the Protecting American Energy Production Act.

personal explanation

Mr. GOLDMAN of New York. Mr. Speaker, I missed votes because of an
important family matter. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on
Roll Call No. 34, and NAY on Roll Call No. 35.

personal explanation

Ms. PETTERSEN. Mr. Speaker, I recently gave birth and am unable to
travel to D.C. to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on
Roll Call No. 34 and NAY on Roll Call No. 35.

____________________