SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The Trump administration’s plan to drill for oil and gas off the coast of the United States is drawing protests in Congress and on the streets.
In Oregon, protesters planned to protest at a hotel in Salem where federal officials on Tuesday will be discussing the plan.
In Washington, senators from coastal states strongly objected to the plan, saying it endangers the environment and threatens jobs dependent on tourism, recreation and fishing.
Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington state, urged Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to drop “this foolish idea.” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, said he was working to ban drilling off his state’s coast.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is holding public hearings in coastal states, including Oregon on Tuesday.