Senator Rick Scott led Florida’s whole congressional delegation in sending a letter to President Trump encouraging him to reject any potential plans from the Division of Inside that might violate his moratorium banning oil drilling off Florida’s coasts. The members observe that Florida’s coasts are an iconic and pristine a part of the state’s atmosphere, function a important nationwide safety level for army coaching with the Gulf Check Vary, and assist generate jobs and over $127 billion in annual tourism spending.
Senator Scott has labored with President Trump for years, each as governor and senator, to maintain oil drilling off Florida’s pristine coasts and is sponsoring the American Shores Safety Act to codify the president’s moratorium banning oil drilling off Florida’s coasts by means of 2032.
Expensive President Trump:
We write as members of Florida’s congressional delegation to specific our sturdy opposition to any makes an attempt to develop offshore oil and gasoline drilling off Florida’s coasts. In 2020, you made the suitable determination to make use of govt motion to increase the moratorium on oil and gasoline leasing off Florida’s gulf and east coasts by means of 2032, recognizing the unbelievable worth Florida’s pristine coasts should our state’s economic system, atmosphere, and army group. This transfer obtained overwhelming and bipartisan assist.
The current announcement from the Division of the Inside’s Bureau of Ocean Vitality Administration (BOEM) on their proposed five-year offshore leasing plan, introduced November 20, 2025, features a “new” planning space referred to as the South-Central Gulf of America. If this plan have been to maneuver ahead, the world would clearly fall throughout the space protected beneath your moratorium in a transparent violation of your 2020 Government Order. This space additionally falls throughout the Gulf Check Vary, a important army coaching space utilized by a number of army forces alongside Florida’s Panhandle for superior army testing, coaching, and analysis of air and weapons techniques.
The Gulf Check Vary, stays an integral a part of Division of Battle coaching to make sure mission readiness and is supported by a number of army bases in Florida’s Panhandle. Collectively, these bases make use of tens of 1000’s of army and civilian personnel and are of important significance to nationwide safety. Eglin Air Drive Base alone helps 20,000 personnel, supplies the nation with $11 billion in financial influence yearly, and at present boasts 123,000 sq. miles of water vary, which might all should be diminished in an occasion of an encroachment of the Gulf Check Vary. The Gulf Check Vary is the biggest multi-domain army coaching and testing complicated within the nation, and its distinctive geographic traits allow important preparation for real-world contingencies. Defending this vary from encroachment, together with oil exploration, is crucial. Over 50,000 jobs within the Panhandle rely instantly on operations at these army amenities linked to the Gulf Check Vary.
Florida’s economic system depends on that very same lovely shoreline, vibrant tourism business, and sustainable fisheries. Actually, Florida’s seashores alone generate greater than $127.7 billion per yr in tourism spending and assist over 2.1 million tourism-related jobs. Sadly, all these assets suffered devastating hurt in the course of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010. That catastrophe wiped billions of {dollars} from Florida’s industries and triggered irreparable harm to the environment and coastal communities. The dangers posed by new offshore drilling far outweigh any short-term good points.
For these causes, we urge you to uphold your present moratorium and preserve Florida’s coasts off the desk for oil and gasoline leasing. Florida’s economic system, atmosphere, and army readiness rely on this dedication.
Thanks to your consideration and management in preserving Florida’s coast and safety.
