The U.S. House of Representatives has passed two bills that would ban new offshore oil and gas drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. One measure would enact a lasting moratorium on oil and gas leasing in Atlantic and Pacific waters, while the other would permanently extend a current prohibition on leases in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Existing sanctions for the latter are otherwise set to expire on June 30, 2022.

New Jersey Congressman Andy Kim (D-3rd) praised the passage of the measures, noting, “Offshore drilling is a disaster…