GULF OIL DRILLING BAN

A bipartisan group of Florida congressional representatives is working to permanently extend a ban on oil and gas leasing that would protect the Gulf Test Range – a military test and training area covering 120,000 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico. The existing ban is scheduled to end June 30, 2022. The bill would permanently prohibit the U.S. Secretary of the Interior from offering wide areas of the Gulf for leasing, pre-leasing or any related activity. The bill is sponsored by Congressman Francis Rooney, a South Florida Republican and co-sponsors include Panhandle Congressmen Matt Gaetz and Neal Dunn, along with seven others.