Republicans and Democrats don't agree on much, but they are lining up against the Trump administration's plans for new oil and gas drilling 100 miles off Florida's Gulf coast.
Gov. Ron DeSantis joined the chorus Friday.
The drilling would be in an area that was previously off limits because of military training missions from nearby bases. During a news conference in Crystal River, the governor called on the Interior Department to reconsider its plan.
"And yes, part of it's environmental, but part of its military training," DeSantis said. "If you go talk to our folks up in the Panhandle who are stationed there, they will say it's really important to be able to have that access to be able to do key training."
DeSantis said President Donald Trump should stick to a ban he agreed to during his first term in office.
"We hope that they double down on the 2020 policy and and not push ahead with what Interior wants to do now," he said.
Both of Florida's U.S. Senators have signed on to a bill that would ban drilling in the eastern Gulf. And a group of eight Republican members of Congress on Thursday signed on to a letter to the president, opposing the plan.
"While we wholeheartedly support your push for American energy independence and expanded domestic oil and gas production, the EGTTR (Eastern Gulf Test and Training Range) is critical to advanced weapons development, flight testing, and joint exercises essential to maintaining America’s military superiority," said the letter, which was signed by Representatives Jimmy Patronis, Neal Dunn, Mike Haridopolos, Daniel Webster, Vern Buchanan, Laurel Lee, Scott Franklin and Byron Donalds.
Democratic congresswoman Kathy Castor of Tampa and Republican Buchanan of Manatee County have also proposed a ban.
“Our oceans and coasts are too unique and too critical to our way of life to encourage offshore drilling," Castor wrote in a release. "Florida is a special but fragile place, and our economy depends on clean water, clean beaches and an affordable way for families to recreate and unwind. Drilling puts our national security at risk by disrupting critical military training conducted off Florida’s coasts."
"That’s why the Biden Administration acted to permanently protect the Eastern Gulf of Mexico under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act," she wrote. "But today, the Trump Administration is proposing to lease areas off Florida’s coast that have long been protected by Congress."
And on Wednesday, several environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the federal government's planned sale of 80 million acres of the Gulf for oil and gas drilling leases.
They claim the sale would violate one of the nation's bedrock environmental laws. The lawsuit claims that the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's sale of leases in 80 million acres of the Gulf on Dec. 10 bypasses the National Environmental Policy Act.
That law requires federal agencies to look at the possible environmental effects before any action can be taken.
On the other hand, the industry group American Petroleum Institute came out in favor of the new plan.
“After years of delay in federal leasing, this is a historic step toward unleashing our nation’s vast offshore resources. We applaud (Interior) Secretary (Doug) Burgum for laying the groundwork for a new and more expansive five-year program that unlocks opportunities for long-term investment offshore and supports energy affordability at a time of rising demand at home and abroad.”
