Pukes Don't Want Drilling Off FL, SC, GA - But By God They Voted For Bernhardt
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Those voting in favor of Bernhardt included Florida Republicans Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, both of whom had initially indicated they might hold out on confirming Bernhardt until he affirmed Florida’s offshore drilling exemption. But they failed to obtain that guarantee ahead of Thursday’s confirmation vote, something Rubio downplayed on Twitter. “I am VERY confident that when all is said & done no oil drilling is coming to our coastline,” Rubio wrote in a tweet on Wednesday.
The senator commented that DOI is unable to exempt Florida until public comment has been taken on the issue — although DOI has taken public comments on its plan, which has been in the works for over a year.
The way coastal senators voted on Bernhardt’s confirmation could factor into the 2020 election cycle — drilling opponents in coastal states have repeatedly threatened to target any lawmakers who pave the way for offshore drilling. But that depends largely on whether or not the Trump administration actually moves forward with its much-discussed drilling plans. “Our senators wouldn’t be expected to not support the president’s pick for Interior because of the offshore drilling issue,” Frank Knapp, president of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce (SCSBC), told ThinkProgress, referring to South Carolina’s senators.
South Carolina’s attorney general joined an offshore drilling lawsuit in January that includes SCSBC. Coastal communities in the state have expressed long-standing concerns over the impact offshore drilling could have on tourism and other local industries, potentially doing extreme damage to the state’s economy. But Knapp said that neither of the state’s senators will necessarily pay for their votes to confirm Bernhardt — unless he moves forward with offshore drilling.
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https://thinkprogress.org/david-bernhardt-offshore-drilling-florida-trump-rubio-scott-south-carolina-49abc7617bc4/
