Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) joined eight New England Democrats and an independent on Thursday to introduce legislation barring offshore drilling along the New England coast. Thirty-seven Democratic senators from coastal states, including Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris of California, sent a letter of opposition Tuesday to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who developed the drilling plan. The exemption, said environmental lawyers, weakened the legal authority of the drilling plan, and prompted new voices of opposition. Oceana, an ocean protection group headquartered in Washington, D.C., prepared an informal survey of elected leaders of both parties who have tweeted their opposition since the administration introduced its offshore plan.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 12, 2018 01:13 UTC