September 12, 2019
The US House passed H.R. 1941 yesterday. The bill was sponsored by South Carolina Representative Joe Cunningham and bans offshore drilling for oil in the Atlantic, Pacific and the Straits of Florida. The bill now goes to the GOP controlled Senate where it will likely die without even getting a committee hearing. President Trump promised to veto the bill should it ever pass, making it clear that if he is re-elected that offshore drilling in the Atlantic would proceed.
All five of South Carolina’s Republican House members joined almost all the other GOP Representatives in voting against H.R. 1941. Republican Congressmen Tom Rice and Joe Wilson voted against the offshore drilling ban even though they have previously said that they opposed drilling off the South Carolina Coast.
Upstate Representative Jeff Duncan not only voted no, he introduced a bill yesterday to make it easier to move forward with offshore drilling and to limit any President’s ability to prevent the practice.
Thanks to all who contacted the South Carolina House delegation to ask that they vote in support of H.R. 1941. Even though your effort failed to move the Republican members, your voice was heard and has put those Congressman on notice for the 2020 election.