"WASHINGTON - The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed two bills banning new offshore oil and gas drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and Florida and was set to vote on a third banning drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Reserve.

The first bill, sponsored by Representative Francis Rooney, a conservative Florida Republican who supports action to tackle climate change, would permanently ban oil and gas leasing in parts of the Gulf of Mexico close to his state’s coast.

The measure passed 248 to 180, with the support of about 20 Republicans. Rooney said a series of spills from oil and gas operations in the gulf have threatened jobs in marine recreation and fishing."

Timothy Gardner reports for Reuters September 11, 2019. [2]