Bills would block offshore exploration in parts of the Gulf of Mexico, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and the Pacific and Atlantic coasts
Lawmakers from both parties evoked the memory of the 2010 BP oil spill Tuesday to drum up support for a trio of House bills that would hamper offshore drilling and President Donald Trump’s energy agenda.
The House is expected to vote Wednesday and Thursday on three bipartisan bills that would block exploration in parts of the Gulf of Mexico, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.
One of the bills, by Rep. Francis Rooney, R-Florida, would permanently ban oil and gas leasing in eastern areas of the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast. The measure would amend and make permanent a provision in a 2006 law that placed a moratorium on drilling there that is set to expire in June 2022.
View the complete September 11 article by Elvina Mawaguna on The Roll Call website here.