Harris touts oil production during 2024 run after saying companies need to 'pay the price' for climate change

Vice President Kamala Harris is facing criticism for touting oil production under the Biden administration after becoming the Democratic nominee, while previously calling for such companies to "pay the price" for climate change.

During her 2019 presidential bid, Harris told voters that she was in favor of the Department of Justice investigating oil companies, such as Chevron and Shell, for "profiting off" pollution. 

"These big oil companies, these fossil fuel companies, look, you should be really prepared to look at a serious fine or be charged with a crime. Because here’s the thing, these big oil companies and these fossil fuel companies have been making so much money and profiting off of this pollution," Harris said.

Yet, after becoming the Democratic nominee, the vice president began touting the "largest increase in domestic oil production in history" under the Biden-Harris administration.

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"My position is that we have got to invest in diverse sources of energy so we reduce our reliance on foreign oil. We have had the largest increase in domestic oil production in history because of an approach that recognizes that we cannot over rely on foreign oil," Harris said during the one and only presidential debate against former President Trump in swing state Pennsylvania.

"I am proud that as vice president over the last four years, we have invested a trillion dollars in a clean energy economy while we have also increased domestic gas production to historic levels," Harris said.

Fox News Digital asked the Harris campaign whether she still supported investigating big oil for pollution, but did not receive a response.

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CNN called out Harris for flipping on the issue since becoming the Democratic nominee.

"This is a very sharp turn from where Harris once stood on this issue not so very long ago," host Erin Burnett said on Wednesday.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz, who signed a bill in 2023 to mandate utilities produce 100% carbon-free power by 2040, echoed her most recent stance on the issue. 

"America’s producing more natural gas and more oil than at any time in our history," Walz said during a recent interview with WGAL 8.

The U.S. Oil and Gas Association (OGA) slammed Harris' resurfaced comment from the debate, saying Harris had "nothing to do" with domestic oil production growth.

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"In just four years, you and POTUS created the single worst regulatory and legislative environment in our industry's 160-year history. You've put into place 250 separate actions designed to put us out of business. You wanted to put our CEOs in jail, confiscate our capital and prevent our investors from getting any return," OGA wrote in a post on X formerly Twitter, on Wednesday. "And in spite of all that – we worked around you, over you and have beat your team. Now you want to take credit for what we did in spite of you. Not gonna let it happen."

Representatives from the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) said Harris' acknowledgment of an oil production boost means that a strong U.S. oil and natural gas industry is good for the U.S. economy.

"This election season, Vice President Harris is taking credit for production records because she knows we need more energy, not less. Despite her policies and remarks derived from environmentalists' talking points about shutting down our industry, I believe Harris also knows American oil and natural gas producers have the cleanest oil and natural gas operations in the world and adhere to the highest environmental and safety standards," Jeff Eshelman, IPAA president and CEO, told Fox News Digital. "The United States needs the energy, and we should not rely on foreign adversaries as the Vice President said." 

Harris recently shifted her stance on fracking, coming out in support of the method this cycle after saying that "there's no question I'm in favor of banning fracking" during a CNN town hall in 2020.