Environmental Regulation and ESA

On March 31, 2026 the Endangered Species Committee — meeting for the first time since 1992 — formally granted an Endangered Species Act exemption allowing oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, a decision the administration said was justified after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth notified Interior Secretary Doug Burgum that the exemption was "necessary for reasons of national security" amid Iran’s efforts to block shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and wartime energy‑price shocks (with U.S. gasoline averaging over $4/gal and the Gulf supplying more than 10% of U.S. crude). Government biologists estimate there are as few as ~50 Rice’s whales and critics warn the exemption — issued after a March spill that spread 373 miles and contaminated multiple species and protected reserves — could drive the species to extinction, while industry groups argue the move will streamline approvals and blunt litigation.