Booker, Padilla, Huffman, Pallone Demand Trump Reverse Plan to Open New Offshore Oil and Gas Leases

Booker, Padilla, Huffman, Pallone Demand Trump Reverse Plan to Open New Offshore Oil and Gas Leases

Lead Senators of the Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism (COAST) Anti-Drilling Act andWest Coast Ocean Protection Act Condemn Efforts that would Devastate Coastal Communities

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Alex Padilla (D-CA), along with House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-CA-02) and House Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-06), demanded that President Trump and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum immediately cease any plans to open new offshore oil and gas leases in U.S. federal waters off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, in the Arctic Ocean and northern Bering Sea off of Alaska, and in the Eastern Gulf. The lawmakers warned that opening these untouched coastlines to new offshore drilling would devastate coastal economies, jeopardize our national security, ravage coastal ecosystems, and put the health and safety of millions of Americans at risk, affecting people across the political spectrum.

By reversing long-standing legal protections for vulnerable coastal waters, new offshore leases would cause significant environmental damage to communities already reeling from natural disasters and recent oil spills. Oil spills not only cause irreparable environmental damage but also suppress the value of coastal homes, harm tourism economies, and weaken coastal infrastructure. Already, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forced to respond to over 150 oil and chemical spills each year. One disastrous spill can cost taxpayers billions in lost revenue, cleanup costs, and ecosystem restoration.

These threats of expanded oil drilling come as the Administration has already dismantled NOAA's oil spill prevention and response programs, as almost 30 percent of the team in charge of addressing oil spills has been laid off or has taken early retirement. The Emergency Response Division team and the oil spill program are slated tolose half their funding under the Administration's proposed FY 2026 budget.

"This is a matter of national consequence for coastal communities across the country, regardless of political affiliation. It puts our economies, national security, and our most vulnerable ecosystems at severe risk," wrote the lawmakers. "Expanded oil and gas leasing poses risks to the health and livelihoods of our constituents, jeopardizes our tourism, fishing, and recreation economies, and threatens the marine life that inhabits our coastlines."

"The United States already leads the world in oil and gas production. The industry currently holds more than 2,000 offshore leases covering over 12 million acres of federal waters-yet fewer than 500 of those leases are actively producing oil and gas," continued the lawmakers. "There is no justification for opening vast swaths of our oceans to leasing when existing leases remain largely unused, while imposing mounting environmental and economic costs on coastal communities."

Additionally, the Department of Defense (DOD) previously warned that oil and gas leases in portions of the Eastern Gulf would impact areas critical to our military readiness, including for military training and testing opportunities and assets. DOD has also signaled that parts of the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Planning Areas are "not compatible with oil and gas activities and infrastructure."

The lawmakers condemned the potential expansion of offshore drilling while the Administration simultaneously curtails offshore wind and clean energy development. This year, the Trump Administration has withdrawn all outer continental offshore wind leases, rescinded all designated Wind Energy Areas, and eliminated $679 million in offshore-wind-related port infrastructure funding, including over $426 million for Humboldt Bay offshore wind infrastructure.

Specifically, the lawmakers demanded that President Trump and Secretary Burgum:

• Halt any steps toward new offshore oil and gas leasing in the Atlantic, Pacific, off the coast of the Arctic and Bering Sea coasts of Alaska, and the Eastern Gulf;
• Limit offshore drilling, consistent with previous statutory and agency protections;
• Prioritize coastal resilience, including expanded storm surge and flood protection, restoration of wetlands and sand dunes, and early-warning systems, so that communities in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, New Jersey, Alaska, and beyond are better protected; and
• Restore a credible pathway for offshore wind and other clean-energy projects by rescinding the OCS wind-leasing withdrawal and rescinded WEAs, enabling science-based projects that support jobs and coastal economies.

"Our coastal communities, fishermen, small business owners, Tribal Nations, tourism operators, and families cannot be sacrificed in the name of short-term drilling booms," concluded the Senators. "Opening new offshore lease areas while cancelling clean energy progress is potentially illegal, a failure of leadership, and a dereliction of the public trust."

In addition to Booker, Padilla, Huffman, and Pallone, the letter is also signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Ron Wyden (D-OR); and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-11) and U.S. Representatives Gabe Amo (D-RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ-03), Becca Balint (D-VT-AL), Nanette Barragán (D-CA-44), Wesley Bell (D-MO-01), Donald Beyer (D-VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), Julia Brownley (D-CA-26), Janelle Bynum (D-OR-05), Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), André Carson (D-IN-07), Ed Case (D-HI-01), Sean Casten (D-IL-06), Kathy Castor (D-FL-14), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20), Judy Chu (D-CA-28), Gil Cisneros (D-CA-31), Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-05), Herbert Conaway (D-NJ-03), Danny Davis (D-IL-07), Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), Diana DeGette (D-CO-01), Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01), Maxine Dexter (D-OR-03), Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD-03), Dwight Evans (D-PA-03), Valerie Foushee (D-NC-04), John Garamendi (D-CA-08), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL-04), Robert Garcia (D-CA-42), Daniel Goldman (D-NY-10), Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51), Henry "Hank" Johnson (D-GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37), Ro Khanna (D-CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), Rick Larsen (D-WA-02), George Latimer (D-NY-16), Mike Levin (D-CA-49), Sam Liccardo (D-CA-16), Ted Lieu (D-CA-36), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-18), Stephen Lynch (D-MA-08), Doris Matsui (D-CA-07), Sarah McBride (D-DE-AL), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), James McGovern (D-MA-02), Robert Menendez (D-NJ-08), Dave Min (D-CA-47), Seth Moulton (D-MA-06), Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-12), Joe Neguse (D-CO-02), Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01), Eleanor Norton (D-DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), Johnny Olszewski (D-MD-02), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19), Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01), Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL-03), Emily Randall (D-WA-06), Luz Rivas (D-CA-29), Deborah Ross (D-NC-02), Andrea Salinas (D-OR-06), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-05), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Kim Schrier (D-WA-08), Robert "Bobby" Scott (D-VA-03), Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12), Adam Smith (D-WA-09), Darren Soto (D-FL-09), Bennie Thompson (D-MS-02), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), Jill Tokuda (D-HI-02), Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Juan Vargas (D-CA-52), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY-07), James Walkinshaw (D-VA-11), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12), Frederica Wilson (D-FL-24).

Environmental advocates including Food & Water Watch, Oceana, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Surfrider Foundation, Earthjustice, and Alaska Wilderness League supported the letter.

"These reckless offshore drilling plans would put coastal communities and workers directly in harm's way, risking new oil spills, worsening climate disasters, and erasing decades of progress toward clean energy," said Jim Walsh, Policy Director for Food & Water Watch. "We cannot keep sacrificing people and places for fossil fuel profits. Protecting our coasts isn't just sound policy, it's a moral obligation necessary for a livable future."

"Offshore drilling is a threat to the lifeblood of our coastal communities," said Oceana Campaign Director Joseph Gordon. "The people who live and work along our coasts depend on healthy oceans for their economic security and way of life. Oceana commends Sen. Padilla, Sen. Booker, Rep. Huffman, Rep. Pallone, and the many lawmakers across the country who are working to protect our coasts from more drilling and spilling. There's too much at stake to gamble our future on deadly oil spills that can last for generations to come."

"Selling off our ocean to the fossil fuel industry is wholly inconsistent with a livable future," said Taryn Kiekow Heimer, Director, Ocean Energy at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). "Despite the urgency of ramping down fossil fuel production to address the climate and biodiversity crises, Interior is putting forth an outrageous proposal to offer up our coastal waters from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and the Gulf to the High Arctic to Big Oil. It's inconceivable we would put polluter profits above coastal communities and wildlife."

"The federal administration's offshore oil drilling plan will damage coastlines and communities, while threatening coastal recreation and tourism industries that contribute billions of dollars to our nation's economy," said Pete Stauffer, ocean protection manager of the Surfrider Foundation. "New drilling will also increase the likelihood of yet another destructive oil spill off our coasts."

"The Trump administration should abandon its misguided plan to force offshore drilling on coastal communities that have made it clear they don't want it," said Laura M. Esquivel, Senior Legislative Representative, Earthjustice. "This reckless proposal threatens the way of life, health, and livelihoods of millions of people along America's coastlines-regardless of political affiliation. The last thing Americans need is yet another threat to their wellbeing and economic security. Voters will remember who tried to bring this deeply unpopular plan to their communities."

"Alaska Wilderness League stands firmly against this Administration's push for offshore drilling in Alaska's coastal waters and the Arctic Ocean," said Andy Moderow, Senior Director of Policy at Alaska Wilderness League. "For years, industry has shown no interest in drilling Arctic waters, and an oil spill in these fragile waters would be a global catastrophe with irreversible consequences for the coastal communities, marine wildlife, and the climate."

On Earth Day, Booker, Padilla, Huffman, Pallone, and Reed announced a pair of bills to permanently protect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans from the dangers of fossil fuel drilling. Booker, Reed, and Pallone's Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism (COAST) Anti-Drilling Act would permanently prohibit the U.S. Department of the Interior from issuing leases for the exploration, development, or production of oil and gas in the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida Planning Areas of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. Padilla and Huffman'sWest Coast Ocean Protection Act would permanently prohibit new oil and gas leases for offshore drilling off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington.

To read the full text of the letter, click here.