Pallone Confronts Trump Official: Why Would the Government Conduct Seismic Testing If Drilling Is Illegal?
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) testified before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Tuesday to oppose a Republican bill that would gut offshore drilling protections and reopen the Atlantic Ocean to oil and gas development – even though such drilling is currently prohibited under federal law.
During the hearing, Pallone grilled the Trump administration’s Acting Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) about why the federal government might conduct seismic testing in the Atlantic if drilling is prohibited. The official refused to commit to keeping the Atlantic off-limits in the agency’s upcoming five-year leasing plan, and implied the administration is banking on Congress to overturn the ban.
“The law says there is no offshore oil and gas leasing permitted on the Atlantic Coast. Why would you even entertain it if someone came forth asking for a permit for seismic testing or to do offshore oil and gas sales lease. Why would you even entertain that given that the current law says that those are not allowed?” Pallone questioned.
“Under the OCSAS Act when we start the process, we provide the secretary information on every planning area regardless of its current legal status so that he can do the balancing that's called for under that act and in coming up with his proposals. We also know that the status of any particular area can change. Obviously we would not hold the lease sale in an area where the law says we cannot do so, but the secretary has the ability to consider the potential of areas just in case the legal standing of areas changes over time,” the Trump official said.
The Republican bill, H.R. 513, the Offshore Lands Authorities Act of 2025, would immediately overturn President Biden’s 2025 ban on oil and gas leasing in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as multiple protections established under President Obama. It would also tie the hands of future presidents by requiring Congressional approval and economic justifications for any attempt to withdraw federal waters from drilling.
Pallone condemned the legislation for carving out special protections for Republican-led states like Florida while leaving the rest of the East Coast, including New Jersey, exposed to drilling and inevitable oil spills. He warned of the threat to New Jersey’s coastal economy, fishing industry, and marine ecosystems.