Trump’s Drilling Plans Meet Republican Pushback in Florida

President Donald Trump plans an “expansive” growth in offshore oil drilling in the coming months.

“The Biden administration slammed the brakes on offshore oil and gas leasing and crippled the long-term pipeline of America’s offshore production,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in a press release.

Burgum’s order, SO 3445 — Unleashing American Offshore Energy, includes up to 34 leases on the Outer Continental Shelf off the coasts of Alaska and Pacific and Gulf Coast states, covering approximately 1.27 billion acres. It also adds a new “South-Central Gulf of America” administrative planning area, pushing eastward into as-yet undrilled seabed.

The agency insists that U.S. energy dominance and security are at stake.

Resistance in Florida

The announcement has met pushback from Republicans in Florida, such as Senator Ashley Moody, who posted on X:

The new maps released today by @SecretaryBurgum and @Interior outlining potential new offshore oil drilling sites in the Gulf of America are HIGHLY concerning — and we will be engaging directly with the department on this issue.

Preserving our state’s natural beauty is deeply important to the millions who call the Sunshine State home, our visitors, and those whose livelihoods depend on tourism. We must act quickly, and I’m urging my colleagues to support my American Shores Protection Act TODAY to ensure oil rigs stay off our beaches.

(Replies to her post ranged from support to “Drill baby, drill!” and “Too late; you voted for him!” Others chose to make an issue of the Gulf of “America” vs. “Mexico.”)

The Interior Department’s announcement is a clear reversal from Trump’s decision during his first administration to extend a 2012 Obama moratorium on oil drilling off Florida, despite Trump’s previous promises to the contrary.

His decision was likely tied to an agreement in 2018 between then-Governor Rick Scott and then-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to exempt Florida waters from oil leasing plans.

Now a U.S. senator from Florida, Scott still opposes drilling off the coast of his state, citing tourism as his primary argument. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is also giving Trump two thumbs down.

Burgum’s proposal, published in the Federal Register on Monday, is open to public comment for 60 days. Information and detailed maps are available here.