Congress will vote soon on offshore drilling as the White House launches a new process to expand drilling off U.S. coasts. Contact your representatives today!
Our federal leaders are moving quickly to expand oil and gas drilling off U.S. coasts. The Trump administration’s first salvo was an executive order to repeal the Biden offshore drilling ban that protected a majority of U.S. waters from oil and gas leasing. More recently, the Department of Interior announced it is revising the 5-year offshore drilling plan and will consider all U.S. coastlines for potential oil and gas leasing (see below to submit comments).
Congress is also considering a massive oil and gas drilling plan - both offshore and on public lands. Last week, House leaders released a budget reconciliation bill that some are calling one of the worst environmental bills in U.S. history. Despite the U.S. hitting an all-time high of domestic oil production in 2024, the bill proposes new drilling across millions of acres in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s Cook Inlet, along with many other provisions to expand fossil fuel development and reduce environmental protections. Congress is expected to vote soon on the budget reconciliation proposal.
Fortunately, some members of Congress want to protect our environment and communities from the harms of new oil and gas development. House and Senate leaders recently introduced bills to prohibit new offshore oil and gas drilling off the East Coast, West Coast, Florida/ Eastern Gulf and Arctic Ocean. While these bills face a difficult road to passage in the current congress, they reflect the majority viewpoint of the public, as 64% of registered U.S. voters oppose new offshore drilling.
Take action: Tell Congress to stop new offshore oil drilling!
Trump Admin to Revise the 5-Year Offshore Drilling Plan
On April 18, the Department of the Interior launched a process to develop a new 5-Year Offshore Drilling Plan for oil and gas lease sales in U.S. waters. This started a 45-day public comment period hosted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) that is open until June 16. Please see instructions below to easily submit your comment on the official record.
Based on the announcement, all major U.S. coastlines are being considered for new offshore drilling, regardless of whether drilling has previously taken place. After the comment period ends, BOEM will develop a draft 5-year plan which specifies what U.S. regions will be included.
The public comment period is a key opportunity to urge the administration to protect all U.S. waters from offshore drilling by adopting a 5-year plan with #NoNewLeases.
Federal law requires the agency to consider public input, as well as potential harm on the environment, communities, and the economy. Past experience has shown that inspired public opposition can stop new oil and gas development, even against overwhelming odds. That’s why Surfrider is urging our supporters - along with communities, businesses, and elected officials - to submit official comments against new offshore drilling.
How to Submit a Comment
- Go to the Federal Comment Portal
- Click on the green button at the top: “Submit a Public Comment”.
- Fill out your name and other info (optional)
- Enter your comment asking the agency to protect all U.S. waters from new leases.
- Click “submit” to enter your comment in the official record
Even short comments are impactful! See our sample comments for talking points.