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Bi-partisan pushback against Gulf oil drilling
A rare meeting of the federal endangered species committee could open the Gulf waters to oil drilling, which has Democrats and Republicans urging an about-facing, hoping that legal challenges will succeed. FOX 13’s Evan Axelbank reports.
TAMPA, Fla - A meeting of the federal Endangered Species Committee ended in a vote to approve the sidestepping of endangered species regulations for oil developers to drill in the Gulf of Mexico.
"Thank you for being here to discuss a matter of urgent national security," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said.
Hegseth argued America badly needs crude oil.
"This is not just about gas prices, it's about our ability to power our military and protect our nation," Hegseth said.
The other side:
Hegseth says litigation from environmental groups has effectively blocked new drilling.
"When development in the Gulf is chilled," Hegseth said, "We are prevented from producing the energy we need as a country and as a department."
Even Trump Administration allies, like Republican Jay Collins, wouldn't defend the move.
"Until we can unequivocally know for sure that there will be no spillage, no leakage, or no harm or risk," Collins said, "I can't get behind this. I have to stand up for our people here in Florida on that issue."
The backstory:
It's not a new fight.
Just last year, the governor successfully convinced the administration to go back on plans to issue new oil leases until 2032.
Democrats are furious over the calling of the meeting in the first place, a committee that has only met three times in 50 years.
"This is so risky and costly at a time when people are already being squeezed and the memory of the BP oil disaster is still fresh on the minds of people because the economic damage was so devastating," Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa) said.
Big picture view:
State Rep. Lindsay Cross (D-St. Petersburg) says the change could endanger several species, including Rice's whale.
"There's about 20 threatened or endangered species that will be impacted by this," Cross said. "The Rice's whale in particular is one that has very low numbers, and we literally have some species that are on the brink of extinction and are heavily impacted by things such as large ship traffic and oil drilling. This could mean the demise of this species."
Charlie Justice, the CEO of the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce says 100,000 families rely on the Gulf tourism for the economy.
"We hope Congress will act and pass the Coastal Protection Act and put the protections and the ban on drilling in the Eastern gulf," Justice said. "Put that in law so that it's not something that we have to worry about."
What's next:
Several environmental groups, including Earthjustice, are filing lawsuits to insist that the Endangered Species Act protections are uninterrupted.
The Source: Sources for this report include a meeting of the Federal Endangered Species Committee, interviews with Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber CEO Charlie Justice, Rep. Kathy Castor, State Rep. Lindsay Cross and a press conference with Lt. Gov. Jay Collins.