U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) joined a bipartisan contingent of 29 members of the Florida congressional delegation in urging Trump to uphold a promise against any offshore oil and gas drilling near their state.
“In 2020, you made the right decision to use executive action to extend the moratorium on oil and gas leasing off Florida’s gulf and east coasts through 2032, recognizing the incredible value Florida’s pristine coasts have to our state’s economy, environment, and military community,” the members wrote the president in a Dec. 4 letter. “This move received overwhelming and bipartisan support.”
However, the lawmakers noted that the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Nov. 20 proposed a five-year offshore leasing plan that includes a “new” planning area called the SouthCentral Gulf of America.
“If this plan were to move forward, the area would clearly fall within the area protected under your moratorium in a clear violation of your 2020 Executive Order,” wrote Rep. Buchanan and his colleagues, who included every member of the Florida congressional delegation, including U.S. Reps. Kat Cammack (R-FL), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Laurel Lee (R-FL), Brian Mast (R-FL), and María Elvira Salazar (R-FL).
“This area also falls within the Gulf Test Range, a critical military training area used by several military forces along Florida’s Panhandle for advanced military testing, training, and evaluation of air and weapons systems,” they added.
The lawmakers pointed out that the Gulf Test Range remains an integral part of U.S. Defense Department training to ensure mission readiness and is supported by multiple military bases in Florida’s Panhandle, which together employ tens of thousands of military and civilian personnel and are of critical importance to national security.
Additionally, Rep. Buchanan and his colleagues wrote that Florida’s economy relies on the coastlines’ tourism industry and sustainable fisheries, noting that the state’s beaches alone generate more than $127 billion per year in tourism spending and support roughly 2.1 million tourism-related jobs.
“For these reasons, we urge you to uphold your existing moratorium and keep Florida’s coasts off the table for oil and gas leasing,” they urged the president. “Florida’s economy, environment, and military readiness depend on this commitment.”