TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a rare display of political alignment, Florida’s top Republicans, Democrats, environmental groups, and even some of President Donald Trump’s closest allies in the state are loudly rejecting the administration’s new plan to expand offshore drilling near Florida’s coast.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has long insisted Florida’s beaches and military testing zones remain off-limits, renewed his warnings this week, urging Trump to stick with the protections he signed in 2020.
“Now what the Interior Department is proposing to do is really to go back off that policy,” said DeSantis, Friday. “I think that would weaken protections we worked really hard to establish offshore.”
The Interior Department’s proposal would open new waters for oil and gas development, aiming to boost domestic production and lower prices. But in Florida, where drilling in state waters is already barred by the state constitution, the idea has landed with a thud.
Military, Environment, and Bipartisan Pushback
Opposition is emerging from every corner of the state’s political landscape. U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis, a Republican whose district includes major military installations, warned new rigs could jeopardize critical national security operations in the Eastern Gulf.
“The right hand is not talking to the left hand,” Patronis said. ”The Department of the Interior is hard charging to try to drive down gas prices. So they're trying to do everything they can to throw it and see what sticks to the wall.”
State
Trump administration announces plan for new oil drilling off Florida
Patronis argues drilling could disrupt hypersonic missile testing and other weapons development within the Gulf Test and Training Range. He’s circulated a letter to the White House, signed by most of Florida’s GOP delegation, reminding federal leaders that military testing and energy exploration “are not compatible.”
It comes as environmental groups say the risks extend far beyond defense.
“Floridians don’t want their treasure trashed,” said JP Brooker with Ocean Conservancy.
He warns that drilling puts fisheries, sea turtles, beaches, and billions in tourism revenue at risk.
“It's a political no-brainer,” said Brooker. “The ocean in Florida is like corn. It's like corn in Iowa, right? It's something that you have to care about and care about supporting, regardless of your political background, if you want to have a chance of getting elected.”
Democrats Also Sound the Alarm
Democrats, too, say the plan is unnecessary and dangerous.
“Big oil does not need any more help right now,” said U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, Thursday evening. “They are doing fine and they hold over 2,000 active leases in the Gulf already.”
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried called the proposal a “nonstarter,” pointing to memories of the Deepwater Horizon disaster just 15 years ago.
“Florida has a long history of bipartisan support against drilling off our coastlines,” she said in a statement. “Our state’s fragile ecosystem and economy would be irreparably harmed if this proposal were to move forward.”
A History of Avoiding Drilling Near Florida
The bipartisan resistance echoes earlier victories for drilling opponents:
- In 2018, voters approved a constitutional amendment banning drilling in state waters.
- That same year, then-Gov. Rick Scott secured a pledge from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke that Florida would be protected: “We are not drilling off the coast of Florida.”
- In 2020, Trump signed a memorandum extending the federal offshore drilling moratorium until 2032.
State leaders say they expect many more local governments and organizations to register their objections in the coming weeks as federal public comments stay open.
