Trump vows to reverse Biden's offshore drilling ban on day one
Donald Trump, who is set to move into the White House in mid-January, announced on Tuesday that he intends to reverse the ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling introduced by US President Joe Biden. He pledged to do this on his "first day," although the media suggest it may not be straightforward.
Donald Trump, president-elect, declared on Tuesday that he will overturn the ban on new offshore drilling, which President Joe Biden enacted towards the end of his term along much of the US coastline.
The current President of the United States implemented this measure to safeguard over 965,000 square miles of ocean from environmentally damaging drilling along the eastern and western coasts, the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico, and the northern Bering Sea in Alaska.
- 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 - said Joe Biden.
Trump responds to Biden
Let's recall that the boost in fossil fuel extraction was one of Donald Trump's campaign promises. What does the president-elect say about this? - I'll reverse it (the ban - ed.) on the first day - the politician stated on Tuesday. He noted that he believes he has the right to do so.
However, American media suggest that Donald Trump's capabilities may not be as straightforward as he portrays. President Biden issued the ban under the Outer Continental Shelf Act of 1953.
This act grants presidents the authority to prohibit drilling in selected segments of federal waters. However, it does not explicitly permit them to overturn predecessors' decisions on the matter, as CNN highlights.
In his first term, Trump sought an executive order to overturn President Obama's decision to safeguard Arctic and Atlantic waters from offshore drilling. However, according to CNBC, a federal court determined that his action was illegal, stating that lifting the ban would necessitate congressional approval.
The outlet also emphasizes that The Republican Party will have a majority in both chambers of the new Congress.
