WASHINGTON – Florida’s congressional representatives, predominantly Republican, are appealing to the Trump administration to abandon its proposal for new offshore oil drilling, which would be the first such activity in decades along Florida’s coast.
The appeal comes in the form of a letter, endorsed by Republican Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, alongside all 28 of Florida’s House members. They argue that the Interior Department’s plan jeopardizes Florida’s booming tourism sector and could interfere with military exercises in a crucial training zone.
“In 2020, you wisely chose to extend the moratorium on oil and gas leasing off Florida’s Gulf and east coasts through 2032 via executive action, acknowledging the significant contribution Florida’s pristine shores make to our state’s economy, environment, and military community,” the lawmakers expressed in a letter addressed to President Donald Trump on Thursday.
This letter signifies a rare instance of Florida’s GOP lawmakers challenging the Republican president, underscoring the vital role that the state’s beaches and coastal areas play in bolstering Florida’s economy.
Notably, the letter refrains from directly criticizing Trump. Instead, it applauds his previous decision during his first term to halt drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico until 2032, a response to similar opposition from Florida lawmakers regarding an earlier drilling initiative. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach remains unaffected by the drilling plan.
The moratorium’s extension was met with widespread bipartisan approval, the lawmakers emphasized in their correspondence.
“We urge you to uphold your existing moratorium and keep Florida’s coasts off the table for oil and gas leasing. Florida’s economy, environment and military readiness depend on this commitment,” they wrote.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced a five-year offshore drilling plan last month that includes new oil drilling off the California and Florida coasts for the first time in decades. The plan, which critics say could harm coastal communities and ecosystems, comes as Trump seeks to expand U.S. oil production to achieve what he calls “energy dominance” in the global market.
The oil industry has been seeking access to new offshore areas, including Southern California and off the Florida coast, as a way to boost U.S. energy security and jobs. The federal government has not allowed drilling in federal waters in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, which includes offshore Florida and part of offshore Alabama, since 1995, because of concerns about oil spills. California has some offshore oil rigs, but there has been no new leasing in federal waters since the mid-1980s.
The drilling proposal drew bipartisan pushback in Florida, where a spokesperson for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said the Trump administration should reconsider.
Scott, the state’s senior senator, said in a post on X Friday that he is “proud to lead Florida’s entire congressional delegation in asking @POTUS to continue his commitment to keeping Florida’s coasts off the table for oil drilling.”
A spokeswoman for the Interior Department said in an email that, “while we do not comment on congressional correspondence through the media, the Department of the Interior takes all correspondence from Congress seriously and carefully reviews each matter.”
Interior is accepting public comments through late January on the drilling plan, which includes as many as 34 potential offshore lease sales nationwide by 2031. That includes 21 sales off the coast of Alaska, seven in the Gulf of Mexico and six along the Pacific coast.
New drilling off the Florida coast would be at least 100 miles from shore in a newly designated South-Central Gulf region, adjacent to thousands of wells and hundreds of drilling platforms in the central Gulf of Mexico.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
