Reps. Garamendi, Carbajal Raise National Security Concerns Over Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Near Military Sites
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressmen John Garamendi (CA-08) and Salud Carbajal (CA-24), two senior members of the House Armed Services Committee, demanded that the Department of the Navy respond to concerns regarding the Department of the Interior’s Draft Proposed Oil and Gas Leasing Program, which would open vast areas of U.S. coastal waters to new offshore drilling near locations where military readiness activities vital to national security take place.
“Our military must be able to train and operate without interference from incompatible industrial activities,” said Congressman Garamendi. “The proposed expansion of offshore oil and gas leasing raises serious concerns about its potential impact on military readiness, particularly in areas that have long been recognized as vital to our national defense. These proposals, which could jeopardize military operations, demand careful review, robust interagency coordination, and transparency.”
“California is home to a broad network of military installations, test and launch ranges, and naval training areas that are essential to our national defense,” said Congressman Carbajal. “The Trump administration’s offshore oil leasing plan cuts through many of these critical sites, creating potential conflicts that could undermine our military readiness. We need strong oversight to ensure this plan doesn’t put our coastline or national security at risk.”
The Department of the Interior proposal, released on November 20, 2025, includes 34 potential lease sales off the coast of Alaska, in the Gulf of Mexico, and along the California coastline – covering approximately 1.27 billion acres. Many of the proposed leasing areas overlap with critical military training and operational zones essential to U.S. national security.
In the letter, Congressmen Garamendi and Carbajal question whether the Department of the Navy has been adequately notified of or consulted on the proposal and urge the Department of Defense to conduct thorough compatibility reviews through the Military Aviation and Installation Assurance Siting Clearinghouse. The lawmakers emphasized that oil and gas activities pose risks to testing, training, and operational missions, including those conducted in the Eastern Gulf Test and Training Range, along the Pacific coast, and in strategically sensitive waters off Alaska.
The lawmakers requested information from the Navy regarding its awareness of the proposal, potential impacts on warfighting capabilities, any ongoing or planned assessments, and whether the proposal has been referred to the Department of Defense’s Siting Clearinghouse for formal review.
Read the full letter HERE:
In addition to Representative Garamendi and Carbajal, the letter was also signed by Representatives Frederica Wilson (FL-24), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Mike Levin (CA-49), Dave Min (CA-47), Robert Garcia (CA-42), and Julia Brownley (CA-26).
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