The Republican-controlled House has passed the Protecting American Energy Production Act with a 226–188 vote, aiming to limit future presidents’ ability to restrict oil and gas drilling without Congressional approval. All Republican lawmakers supported the bill, joined by a small number of Democrats, while 118 Democrats opposed it. The legislation would specifically prevent executive bans on practices such as hydraulic fracturing, a method central to U.S. domestic energy production.
Introduced by Rep. August Pfluger of Texas, the bill is a direct response to energy policies enacted under the Biden administration, including the ban on drilling across 625 million acres of coastal and offshore waters. Pfluger criticized these measures, calling them part of a broader “war on American energy.” If the bill becomes law, it would ensure that only Congress—not future presidents—can impose broad restrictions on fracking and other forms of energy extraction. The legislation underscores the ongoing partisan divide over energy policy and environmental regulation in the United States.
