Senate Democrats on Wednesday blocked Republican legislation to prevent the president from declaring a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) requested unanimous consent to approve H.R. 1121, the “Protecting American Energy Production Act,” which passed the House in March.
Mullin said the bill would “bolster American energy production” and pointed to Vice President Kamala Harris’ policy switch on the issue. The Democratic presidential nominee once supported a ban.
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Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), one of the Senate’s most environmentally conscious members, objected to quick passage of the bill, citing climate change and other pollution.
