Vice President Kamala Harris has announced that she will not ban fracking if she is elected president, marking a significant reversal from her earlier position during the 2019 presidential primary campaign.
The New York Post reported that Harris claimed that her stance has remained consistent since 2020, despite her previous opposition to fracking during her earlier presidential bid. In other words, she supports a fracking ban she just doesn't want it to cost her votes.
In a departure from her 2019 campaign, where she voiced support for banning fracking, Harris now asserts that it is possible to balance fracking activities with climate crisis mitigation.
In 2019, Harris publicly expressed her support for banning fracking, a position that resonated with environmental activists.
During a campaign event, she told a climate activist that she was “in favor of banning fracking,” a stance that aligned with her push for aggressive climate action. However, her recent comments reveal a change in approach as she prepares for another presidential run.
Harris stressed that her current position on fracking is consistent with the stance she took during the 2020 presidential campaign.
“In 2020, I made very clear where I stand,” Harris said, reaffirming her commitment to not banning fracking. She further emphasized that her stance has not wavered as she enters the 2024 campaign.
As she gears up for a potential presidential bid, Harris highlighted the importance of maintaining her position on fracking for her electability, particularly in key battleground states like Pennsylvania.
With 19 Electoral College votes, Pennsylvania’s economy is closely tied to the energy sector, making Harris’s position on fracking a significant factor in her campaign strategy.
Despite the apparent shift from her 2019 position, Harris maintained that her values have remained unchanged. “My values have not changed,” she stated, underscoring her belief that the government can effectively address the climate crisis while allowing fracking to continue.
Harris’s approach to fracking now includes a focus on balancing the practice with the development of a clean energy economy.
She pointed to her experience as vice president, during which the administration helped create over 300,000 new clean energy jobs. Harris argued that this accomplishment demonstrates the possibility of growing a clean energy economy without banning fracking.
As vice president, Harris also played a key role in legislative decisions that impacted the energy sector.
She mentioned casting a tie-breaking vote that increased releases for fracking, further highlighting her pragmatic approach to energy policy. Harris argued that this decision was part of a broader strategy to ensure that both energy production and environmental protection can coexist.
“What I have seen is that we can grow and we can increase a thriving clean energy economy without banning fracking,” Harris said, reinforcing her belief that a balanced approach is not only possible but necessary.
Harris’s position on fracking is likely to play a significant role in the upcoming election, particularly in states where the energy industry is a major economic driver.
By maintaining a stance that allows for both fracking and the expansion of clean energy, Harris is positioning herself as a candidate who can appeal to a broad range of voters, including those in key swing states.
This approach, however, may draw criticism from both environmental advocates who favor more aggressive action against fossil fuels and voters who supported her original anti-fracking stance in 2019.
Nonetheless, Harris has remained firm in her position, stating that she will not change her stance as the 2024 election approaches.
“We are in 2024, and I’m not changing that position nor will I going forward,” Harris asserted, making it clear that her commitment to not banning fracking is part of her broader campaign strategy.
