Florida delegation seeks exclusion from offshore drilling | JQJO

Florida's full congressional delegation urged President Donald Trump to exclude the state from his administration's plan to expand offshore oil and gas drilling, warning it would imperil military operations and tourism. In a rare bipartisan letter signed by Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody and all 28 House members, they said risks from new drilling outweigh any short-term gains. Lawmakers cited more than 50,000 Panhandle jobs tied to the Gulf Test Range and $127.7 billion in annual beach tourism. The Interior Department has proposed opening the eastern Gulf to leasing; the White House had no immediate comment.