Pennsylvania
Kamala Harris’ fracking ban comes under fire in Pennsylvania as veep tries to reverse course: ‘Out of step’
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Vice President Kamala Harris’ inconsistent position on a hydraulic fracking ban is threatening to undermine her electability in oil-rich Pennsylvania.
“There’s no question I’m in favor of banning fracking,” the then-presidential candidate told a climate activist at a CNN town hall in 2019.
Senate candidate Dave McCormick and other Pennsylvania Republicans have been quick to highlight what such a ban would mean for the Keystone State as Harris attempts to change course on the issue.
“The Biden-Harris-[Sen. Bob] Casey energy agenda has essentially been to stop fossil fuels, and transition from lithium batteries and solar panels from China,” McCormick said on “Fox and Friends” Friday, adding: “It truly is out of step [with] where most Pennsylvanians are.”
A McCormick campaign ad released last week featured similar attacks on Harris’ energy record, including her support for the Green New Deal — a series of progressive policy initiatives designed to phase out fossil fuels in America.
Donald Trump Jr. and Ric Grenell are among other high-profile Republicans slamming Harris on X last week for her position on fracking.
“Kamala Harris is even more extreme than Joe Biden – She wants to ban fracking and kill countless jobs in states like PA for American workers,” Trump Jr. wrote.
“Dear Pennsylvania… take it from this Californian, don’t let Kamala Harris anywhere near your energy sources,” wrote former Director of National Intelligence Grenell.
Perhaps such attacks are driving the Harris campaign’s recent shift on the issue?
As of this weekend, Harris’ campaign claims she no longer supports a fracking ban, with a Harris campaign spokesperson telling The Hill that Donald Trump’s energy policies would “enrich oil and gas executives at the expense of the middle class.”
Trump had criticized Harris’ support for a fracking ban at his North Carolina rally last Wednesday.
Back on the left, Pennsylvania Democrat Conor Lamb — a once-promising young congressman who lost to John Fetterman in the 2022 Senate primary — praised the Harris’ pivot.
“A good leader learns in public and isn’t afraid to admit when they change their mind,” Lamb tweeted Monday morning.
With Trump set to rally in Pennsylvania’s capital this Wednesday, the former prez is likely to push the issue.
Recent polls show Harris gaining on Trump nationally when compared to outgoing President Joe Biden, though Trump maintains a narrow lead across most swing states.
The war with Iran could start impacting your wallet as soon as today.
Jim Garrity from AAA East Central says oil prices are up.
“They’re hovering around $72. They were pretty consistently around $65, $66 for a while,” he said.
Nationally, AAA said the average for a gallon of regular sits at about $3, up approximately six cents from last week.
In Pennsylvania, it’s around $3.12 a gallon, and in the Pittsburgh region, it’s around $3.24 a gallon. That’s actually down about four cents from last week.
Garrity added that gas prices this time of year would already be increasing, usually because of higher demand for the warmer months and the production of the summer blend of gas used for those months.
The impacts of what’s happening in Iran may not be immediate, which could be part of why our region and the state overall have not seen a spike yet, he said.
“It could be a couple of days later. It could be up to a week later,” Garrity said.
A lot of people are watching what happens with the Strait of Hormuz. Iran borders it to the north, and 20% of the world’s oil goes through it.
Iran is one of the world’s biggest oil producers, and China gets a lot of that oil.
“If there is an impact there, you could see oil start to come in from other parts of the world, which has a downstream effect on [the United States],” Garrity said.
One way you can save on gas if prices increase in our area is by slowing down.
“When you drive faster every five miles, over 50 miles an hour, your fuel efficiency is going down,” Garrity said. “You’re making the car work harder, making the gasoline consumption less effective.”
Garrity added that in 2022, when our area and many others saw some of the highest gas prices ever recorded, people changed their driving habits.
“We saw people make seemingly permanent changes to their driving behaviors, driving less in general, consolidating trips,” he said.
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