Press Releases

Washington, D.C. (November 20, 2013) – This evening, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2728, the Protecting States’ Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act with a bipartisan vote of 235-187. This legislation maintains states as the primary regulator of hydraulic fracturing, a practice that has been successful since the 1940s.

Congressman Steve Pearce, Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, and Congressman Bill Flores, the bill’s sponsor, released the following statements in response to the passage of H.R. 2728:

“Thanks to an innovative combination of existing technologies and an abundant supply of natural gas, the United States is now more in control of its energy fate than ever,” said Congressman Pearce. “By keeping with a 65 year tradition of state authority in regulating hydraulic fracturing, we are taking another important step towards American energy security. Our states know best how to care for their unique geological needs and a one-size-fits-all federal mandate does not provide a fair playing field for states. Today’s bipartisan passage of H.R. 2728 signifies that Congress stands behind the 2.1 million jobs and $75 billion in tax revenues supported by hydraulic fracturing. I am proud to have been able to work with Congressman Flores to pass this legislation because it is so much more than an energy bill. It is a jobs bill that will rebuild the middle class and a security bill that will reduce America’s dependence on unstable foreign energy supplies.”

“The shale energy boom has brought about an energy revolution which is powering our economic recovery and creating hundreds of thousands of well-paying American energy jobs,” added Congressman Flores. “Energy from affordable, abundant and clean natural gas has also put our country in a position to make us once again globally competitive in manufacturing and grow good, middle class jobs from our manufacturing renaissance. In order to protect these jobs we must limit the federal government’s ability slow down energy production with duplicative regulations and unnecessary red tape. With today’s bipartisan passage of the Protecting States’ Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act, we are ensuring that states can continue to produce affordable energy in a safe, clean and reliable manner that promotes efficiency, creates jobs and saves taxpayer dollars.”