The Biden administration’s EPA may not be able to ban fracking for now, thanks to an amendment from Sen. Mike Braun. Indiana’s junior Republican senator attached his amendment to the relief bill that may provide more stimulus checks, and many other COVID relief programs.

The budget resolution for the bill, along with 48 other amendments, passed late Thursday.

“This is an issue of energy independence,” said Braun, speaking to the Senate. “It gives us time to find the cleanest, least expensive options down the road.”

Braun said that the U.S. has passed Russia and Saudi Arabia as a leading energy supplier, and he believes banning fracking might force us to give up that position.

“According to the Global Energy Institute, if fracking were banned in 2021, the U.S. economy would lose 19 million jobs in four years, local and state tax revenues would plummet and gas prices would double,” said Braun. “This is why Pres. Biden promised, we will not ban fracking. We will protect and grow jobs. Yet, many in this body have called to ban fracking.”

Sen. Todd Young’s amendment to prevent illegal immigrants from receiving stimulus checks also passed the Senate, as did a ban on the minimum wage increase to $15 per hour.