1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

The administration is advancing an unprecedented offshore drilling plan that would open nearly all U.S. coastlines—including California, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida’s protected waters, and Alaska’s High Arctic—to new oil and gas leasing. This threatens coastal ecosystems, tourism-based economies, and recreation industries, despite the U.S. already being the world’s top oil producer with more than 1,800 unused offshore leases. New drilling will not lower gas prices due to global market dynamics and long project timelines, but it will increase the risk of catastrophic spills while benefiting fossil fuel executives. Meanwhile, critical oversight agencies like the EPA and NOAA have been weakened through staffing and budget cuts. To protect our coasts, Congress must act. ⸻ Recommended Legislative Actions for Senators & Representatives 1. Pass legislation to halt new offshore leasing • Introduce or support bills that prohibit new offshore drilling leases in all U.S. waters, including the Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific, and Eastern Gulf of Mexico. • Reinstate previous moratoria and codify them into law, preventing future administrations from undoing protections. 2. Strengthen coastal and environmental oversight agencies • Restore and increase funding for the EPA, NOAA, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to ensure proper regulation, inspection, and environmental enforcement. • Mandate staffing levels sufficient to oversee offshore operations and emergency response readiness. 3. Require full environmental impact assessments • Legislate mandatory, independent Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) for any proposed offshore operations, including high-risk areas like the Arctic. • Close loopholes that allow “categorical exclusions” used to fast-track approvals. 4. Protect coastal economies and tourism industries • Introduce bills establishing permanent coastal economic protection zones prioritizing tourism, fisheries, and recreation over extractive industries. • Fund resilience and spill-prevention programs through dedicated federal grants. 5. Increase transparency and accountability in fossil fuel leasing • Pass legislation requiring: • Public disclosure of unused leases. • Justification reports from the Department of the Interior before offering any new leases. • Regular congressional oversight hearings. 6. Incentivize clean energy alternatives • Expand federal investment in offshore wind, tidal energy, and coastal clean-energy infrastructure so communities aren’t economically pressured into accepting oil and gas development. 7. Establish emergency spill-response standards • Mandate updated, science-based spill-response plans specifically for Arctic waters where response capacity is minimal. • Require operators to demonstrate they can contain a blowout in extreme conditions before receiving permits.