House and Senate Democrats unveiled an Earth Day slate of legislation to bar new offshore oil and gas drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. They’re also moving to stop new activity in the Arctic.
The bills would reaffirm executive action taken in the waning days of the Biden administration to close nearly 625 million acres of the outer continental shelf to offshore exploration.
President Donald Trump and the Republican majority in Congress have vowed to scrap much of the moratorium in a forthcoming budget reconciliation package and to seek expanded drilling in Alaska.
Though Democrats are in the minority and are unlikely to pass any of their proposed offshore bans, restrictions off Florida and other coastal areas are popular with members of both parties.
