On Tuesday night, the U.S. House approved an amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill keeping the moratorium on drilling in the eastern Gulf until 2022 and preventing exploration efforts in that area until that time. Currently there is an effort in the U.S. Senate from U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., which would allow drilling up to 50 miles off the Florida Gulf Coast.
The amendment was offered by U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla., and it had the support of members of the Florida delegation including Republican U.S. Rep. Curt Clawson and Democratic U.S. Reps. Gwen Graham and Patrick Murphy.
Jolly took to the House floor on Tuesday to explain why his amendment was needed.
“We can achieve energy independence without expanding drilling to the eastern Gulf of Mexico,” Jolly said. “And it is paramount that we take steps to continue protecting our pristine beaches, our fisheries, our marine sanctuaries, and coastal communities from the impact of drilling in the eastern Gulf and devastating events like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010.”
“Recognizing the need for America to compete globally by having a ready supply of cost-effective energy, I still believe the risk of drilling in the eastern Gulf isn’t worth it, given what we saw recently with the BP disaster,” Clawson said on Tuesday after the amendment was approved. “Because of the vast lands and the expanding technologies that our country offers, there are better, safer places to find America’s energy supply, without putting the wildlife, the shores and the communities of Florida’s Gulf Coast in danger."
Early last month Jolly and Graham teamed up to offer a bill ensuring the current ban on drilling for oil in the eastern Gulf goes all the way through 2027.
Back in May, Cassidy introduced the “Offshore Energy and Jobs Act of 2015” which would allow drilling up to 50 miles off the Florida Gulf Coast. Cassidy has cited studies which show, by 2035, the eastern part of the Gulf could generate a million barrels of oil a day.
“Developing oil and natural gas resources in the Gulf of Mexico could create more than 200,000 jobs, add more than $18 billion per year to the U.S. economy and strengthen our national security,” Cassidy insisted in May.
Cassidy also fired back at criticisms from Florida politicians -- including U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.
“Florida is a part of the Gulf and their residents should benefit from the Gulf’s natural resources. Families across the nation, including in Florida, would hold jobs with better wages and better benefits that are created by expanding offshore energy production,” Cassidy said. “I don’t understand why anyone would deny Floridians, or anyone else, access to these jobs.”
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
