Lawmakers sending letter to Zinke to oppose offshore drilling

Two Florida lawmakers are teaming up to oppose the Trump administration’s proposed plan to expand offshore drilling around the state, citing the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) announced Thursday evening on Twitter that she would join Sen. Bill Nelson’s (D-Fla.) letter to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke opposing any expansion of offshore drilling in Florida after the administration said it would sharply expand offshore drilling.

“Signed @SenBillNelson letter to @SecretaryZinke @Interior opposing any opening of #Florida to offshore drilling in order to prevent a disaster similar to the #DeepwaterHorizon spill,” Ros-Lehtinen wrote on Twitter. “I hope many more #Florida members join!”

Signed @SenBillNelson letter to @SecretaryZinke @Interior opposing any opening of #Florida to offshore drilling in order to prevent a disaster similar to the #DeepwaterHorizon spill. I hope many more #Florida members join!

— Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (@RosLehtinen) January 4, 2018

Nelson attacked the Trump administration’s decision in a Twitter post earlier Thursday, vowing to defeat any plans to expand drilling in Florida.

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“This plan is an assault on Florida’s economy, our national security, the will of the public, and the environment. This proposal defies all common sense and I will do everything I can to defeat it,” Nelson tweeted.

This plan is an assault on Florida’s economy, our national security, the will of the public, and the environment. This proposal defies all common sense and I will do everything I can to defeat it. https://t.co/tYe10AgNbY

— Bill Nelson (@SenBillNelson) January 4, 2018

Nelson has vowed to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to block the Trump administration from changing Obama-era guidelines on oil rig inspections put in place after the Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010 that killed 11 people and sent at least 4.9 million barrels of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico.

“The BP spill devastated my state’s economy and 11 people lost their lives,” Nelson said on the Senate floor Wednesday. “That’s why I plan to subject this misguided rule to the Congressional Review Act.”

Any use of the CRA to block the proposed rule changes, which have not yet been finalized, would be likely to fail, as the CRA overturn would require the president’s signature to take effect.

Republicans have used the CRA under President Trump to overturn many Obama-era regulations on businesses.