So Cute!! FL Congressional Republicans "Express Concern" About Their Lord & Master's Plan For Offshore Oil Drilling

[hatrack]

Florida Republicans are fuming as the Trump administration proposes to open up new drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. “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,” Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) wrote in a post on the social platform X. “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,” Moody wrote.

EDIT

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s “updated reserve estimate of 7.04 billion barrels of oil equivalent shows the Central and Western areas will remain prolific for decades, but sustaining the Gulf’s long-term competitiveness means evaluating opportunities in the Gulf of America Program Area B as well,” Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, said in a statement to The Hill, referring to all of the drilling areas proposed by the Trump administration.

“Exploring nearby areas is not only smart policy, it can be a smart investment decision. It keeps the region attractive for capital, extends its productive life, and leverages the strengths that have made the Gulf one of the world’s most successful offshore basins,” he said. However, Florida is a state with an economy is heavily dependent on beach tourism, and offshore drilling near its coasts is deeply unpopular: In 2018, about 69 percent of voters approved an offshore drilling ban in the state.

The anti-offshore sentiment in the state was amplified by 2010’s Deepwater Horizon disaster, which spilled massive amounts of oil into the Gulf, some of which reached Florida’s beaches. A 2017 paper estimated that 4.15 million trips to Florida were canceled as a result of the spill.

EDIT

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5618027-florida-republicans-trump-offshore-drilling-plan-gulf-desantis/

[House of Roberts]

1. So, are we back to calling it the Gulf of Mexico now?

I can't keep these things straight anymore.