H.R. 26, the “Protecting American Energy Production Act,” would prohibit the president from declaring a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) unless authorized by an act of Congress. The bill also declares, “States should maintain primacy for the regulation of hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas production on state and private lands.”

The House passed H.R. 26 on February 7, 2025 by a vote of 226 to 188 (Roll Call 35). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because the federal government should not interfere with oil and natural-gas production. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution does not authorize Congress to regulate energy production; this is reserved to the states, as the 10th Amendment affirms. Allowing the United States to fully utilize its energy resources would make the country more self-sufficient and potentially create millions of jobs.