Endangered Species Committee Exempts Gulf Oil and Gas Production in Rare Decision

In a rare meeting of the federal Endangered Species Committee on March 31 over national security concerns, Trump administration cabinet members voted unanimously to grant an exemption to shield oil and gas production in the Gulf of America from the Endangered Species Act.

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, who served as committee chair, called the meeting in accordance with a section of the federal law after he received national security findings March 13 from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth told the six-member committee oil and gas production in the Gulf of America is a cornerstone of the nation's security, providing 15 percent of our country's crude oil.