Just days after last week’s congressional hearing on America’s extraordinary shale gas potential (and how hydraulic fracturing remains a critical tool for delivering it to the American people), Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette of Colorado intends to introduce legislation tomorrow that will radically alter the way energy is produced in America.

Consistent with her legislation in the 110^th Congress, DeGette remains squarely focused on stripping states – who have a 60-year record of ensuring hydraulic fracturing is done safely and effectively – of their regulatory authority and enacting a one-size-fits-all federal mandate that could effectively halt this critical energy-producing practice at a time when our economy, working families, and state and local governments desperately need the boost.

Many are taking notice to this legislation, especially in areas where jobs and tax revenues would be slashed if it were enacted into law.

Today’s Grand Junction (CO) Sentinel editorialized about Rep. DeGette’s bill, writing: “Despite the EPA reports from the Clinton and Bush administration, and even though there have been no documented cases of fracking contaminating drinking water, a DeGette spokeswoman said legislation is needed because there is anecdotal evidence of people becoming sick as a result of fracking. And that’s enough to justify federal regulations? This from a Democratic congresswoman who attacked President George W. Bush for ignoring science.”

The congresswoman’s home-state paper added this: “With little evidence to support the claims that fracking harms drinking water, there is no need for the federal regulation that DeGette is pushing.”

This paper, small, independent energy producers and every American family struggling in this economy understands that we must work to produce more energy here at home, not less of it.

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