Rep McEachin (D-VA): Trump Administration Is Tone-Deaf on Offshore Drilling
One Virginia congressman is very “concerned” by a plan to expand offshore drilling.
Democratic Rep. Donald McEachin slammed the Trump White House on Monday for supporting the National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, despite growing bipartisan opposition.
“The Republican mayor of Virginia Beach has come out against it. Many Republicans in our city have come out against this plan,” he told Cheddar Monday. “What I really think it shows is that the Trump Administration is tone-deaf when it comes to issues like offshore drilling."
The proposed program, helmed by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, was unveiled in January and opposition is picking up steam. Virginia governor Ralph Northam, another Democrat, is meeting with environmental groups Monday to discuss their concerns.
The plan looks to open up more than 90 percent of U.S. continental waters for drilling and exploration. It diverges from an Obama era policy which set offshore drilling limits in efforts to protect the environment.
McEachin, a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, said during the interview that Zinke’s bill will not benefit his constituents and could instead kill some 91,000 jobs.
The court’s ruling applies to higher education institutions and other entities that receive federal funding and doesn’t directly change private employer obligations, but business leaders might pull back diversity, equity and inclusion programs to avoid lawsuits.
The IRS is showcasing its new capability to aggressively audit high-income tax dodgers as it makes the case for sustained funding and tries to avert budget cuts sought by Republicans who want to gut the agency.
A First Amendment group sued Texas Governor Greg Abbott and others on Thursday over the state’s TikTok ban on official devices, arguing the prohibition – which extends to public universities – is unconstitutional and impedes academic freedom.
No fingerprints or DNA turned up on the baggie of cocaine found in a lobby at the White House last week despite a sophisticated FBI crime lab analysis, and surveillance footage of the area didn’t identify a suspect, according to a summary of the Secret Service investigation obtained by The Associated Press. There are no leads on who brought the drugs into the building.
Kamala Harris, who made history as the first woman or person of color to serve as vice president, has made history again by matching the record for most tiebreaking votes in the Senate.
