HR 319 Summary

• Supports an indefinite extension of the current moratorium on oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico east of the Military Mission Line (established at 86°41' W. longitude).

• Cites the Gulf of Mexico Range Complex (GOMEX) as essential for U.S. military training and weapons testing, serving as the largest training range in the continental United States and supporting over 775,000 defense-related jobs with $80 billion in economic impact.

• Notes that military missions require unrestricted day and night access to airspace up to 60,000 feet and subsurface seaspace for high-speed flying, maneuvering, and weapons testing using live ammunition and missiles.

• References the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (GOMESA), which currently restricts oil and gas leasing east of the Military Mission Line and within 125 miles of the Florida coastline in the Eastern Planning Area until 2022.

• Warns that allowing drilling east of the Military Mission Line could result in loss of range areas and possible relocation of aircraft and military bases to other unrestricted areas, jeopardizing Florida's military installations.