By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – A standoff emerged Tuesday between outgoing President Joe Biden and his incoming successor, Donald J. Trump, over his plans to expand offshore drilling.
Trump, whose “drill, baby, drill” mantra has energized the fossil fuel industry, condemned Biden for moving to ban new offshore oil and natural gas drilling in most U.S. coastal waters.
It was seen as a last-minute effort to prevent the incoming Trump from taking action.
Biden, whose term expires in two weeks, said he is using authority under the federal Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to protect offshore areas along the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and portions of Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea from future oil and natural gas leasing.
“My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs,” Biden said in a statement.
“As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and we are transitioning to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren,” he stressed.
Biden’s orders would not affect large swaths of the Gulf of Mexico, where most U.S. offshore drilling occurs. Still, it would protect coastlines along California, Florida, and other states from future drilling.
BAN ‘RIDICULOUS’
However, in a radio interview, Trump branded the ban “ridiculous”.
“I’ll unban it immediately,” he pledged. “I have the right to unban it immediately.”
Trump has previously said he will reverse Biden’s conservation and climate change policies, arguing that the United States has been taken advantage of by heavy carbon dioxide, or CO2, emitting countries like China.
Yet analysts say Biden’s actions, which protect more than 625 million acres of federal waters, could be complex for President-elect Donald Trump to unwind since they would likely require an act of the United States Congress to repeal.
Trump himself has a complicated history of offshore drilling. In 2020, he signed a memorandum directing the Interior Secretary to prohibit drilling in the waters off both Florida coasts and off the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina until 2032.
The action came after Trump initially moved to vastly expand offshore drilling before retreating amid widespread opposition in Florida and other coastal states. Biden’s ban covers the Atlantic coast and eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific coast of California, Oregon, and Washington, and a section of the Bering Sea off Alaska.
It is the latest in a string of last-minute climate policy actions by the Biden administration ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Ties between the government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Moscow appear to be closer than previously thought after leaked recordings suggested direct coordination over European Union sanctions against Russia.
At least 30 people were killed in a brutal Palm Sunday attack in Ungwan Rukuba, a community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau state, Nigeria, marking yet another deadly incident during one of Christianity’s holiest seasons, according to International Christian Concern.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel, in close coordination with the United States, has significantly weakened Iran’s military capabilities as the regional conflict entered its fifth week.
In a landmark victory for free speech and religious liberty, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the state of Colorado cannot ban counselors from engaging in voluntary conversations with minors seeking guidance on issues of sexuality and gender identity.
Israel signaled a major strategic shift on its northern front Tuesday, as Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intends to establish a permanent security zone inside southern Lebanon extending to the Litani River.
Italy denied permission last week for U.S. military aircraft to land at the Sigonella air base in Sicily before continuing on to the Middle East, according to sources cited Tuesday, highlighting growing sensitivities among European allies over the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The Pentagon is considering deploying a high-energy counter-drone laser system at Fort Lesley J. McNair, signaling growing concern over unexplained drone activity near sensitive U.S. government sites.