With President-elect Donald Trump vowing to ‘Make Oil Drilling Great Again’ and open back up new oil exploration after current President Joe Biden shut it down four years ago, the Biden Administration plans to implement an executive order that could serve as a permanent solution to prevent the incoming administration from drilling for oil and gas in some federally-controlled waterways, possibly including off the shores of Florida.
President Biden’s edict would ban new drilling rights off of some of the outer continental shelf locations.
When then-President Trump targeted offshore oil drilling in Florida, every single member of the state’s congressional delegation pushed back at the idea, including both U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, and Trump loyalists like former Rep. Matt Gaetz.
In 2018, Senator Scott was still Governor Scott and helped kill the Trump administration's oil exploration considerations off the coast of Florida.
Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, tapped by the president to jumpstart a new offshore oil drilling boom, praised Florida Governor Rick Scott for his efforts to promote the Trump agenda and his concerns over the idea of drilling for oil off his state’s coastline.
"I have witnessed Governor Scott's leadership through hurricane season and am working closely with him on Everglades restoration. He is a straightforward leader that can be trusted. President Trump has directed me to rebuild our offshore oil and gas program in a manner that supports our national energy policy and also takes into consideration the local and state voice. I support the governor's position that Florida is unique and its coasts are heavily reliant on tourism as an economic driver. As a result of discussion with Governor Scott's [sic] and his leadership, I am removing Florida from consideration for any new oil and gas platforms."-Ryan Zinke, Secretary of the Interior
The issue of drilling off the coast of Florida was still being floated around in 2019, and after Gov. Scott went on to serve in the U.S. Senate, it was up to newly-elected Governor Ron DeSantis to step up and push back against any effort to extend oil and gas exploration off the coastline.
Gov. DeSantis, who was part of the unanimous bipartisan effort to prevent drilling off of Florida, stepped up.
During a press conference to update reporters on Hurricane Dorian relief efforts in Dania Beach, Florida, DeSantis said that the president understood how Florida was “just a different state” from the rest.
“We should have the ban around Florida, for sure,” stated DeSantis “I’ve urged him (Trump) to make sure that Florida is protected from that. You see it with everybody here, we’re just a different state in terms of how we are situated. He understands that, and every indication (sic) I have had with him is that he will support having Florida taken care of in that respect.”
DeSantis also said that the president also “understands the direction our state goes, what our lifeblood is,” adding that President Trump told him “he’s with us.”
“I’ve not had any concerns, any time talking to him that somehow they would try to do anything with respect to oil drilling in Florida,” added DeSantis “Florida, he’s told me he’s with us. We don’t want the oil drilling.”
But while it appeared that Florida would be spared from new offshore oil drilling, it wasn’t until 2020 that President Trump appeared to finally wave the white flag to Floridians concerned about the potential threats an oil spill off of the coast of Florida could cause the state’s overall economy.
After facing significant bipartisan push back from Florida’s entire congressional delegation over potentially allowing drilling off the coast of Florida, President Donald Trump announced that he would be extending the oil drilling moratorium along the “gulf coast and expanding it to Florida’s Atlantic coast.”
Republican Reps. Brian Mast, Gus Bilirakis, and Mario Diaz-Balart, joined House Democrats like then-Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, were relieved in the signing of the moratorium.
“Drilling off the shores of Florida is a non-starter—not worth the risk of endangering our environment, fishing, boating, or tourism,” stated Rep. Mast President Trump’s plan to extend the moratorium is the right one, and it proves that our voices are being heard. We must never tolerate drilling near our beautiful coastline!”
“This is kind of leadership we appreciate in Florida as we work to protect our state’s uniquely sensitive environment and economy,” stated Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R).
With President Trump coming off a nationwide electoral mandate to push through his legislative agenda, could these very same pro-Trump lawmakers bend the knee a bit and allow Trump more leeway when it comes to energy independence, even if it means looking at strategic points off of Florida’s coast to explore for oil and gas?
Trump should be able to get what he wants from the Republican-controlled U.S. Congress, but getting the Florida congressional delegation and Gov. DeSantis to dismiss their past support of preventing new drilling of of Florida’s coastline could prove to be a heavy lift, even for someone like Trump.
