Newsom’s press release included a photo of a bird covered in crude oil, with a caption that said, “If Trump gets his way, coming to a beach near you soon!”
Numerous California lawmakers, including Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Jared Huffman, hastily convened a press call to push back on the plan.
Padilla called it “another outrageous announcement” from an “out of control administration.”
Rep. Jimmy Panetta compared the proposal to Trump’s controversial renovation of the White House. “The California coastline is not the East Wing of the White House,” he said.
The Democratic lawmakers are supporting legislation that would prohibit new oil and gas leases off the West Coast.
The public will have a 60-day window to comment on the plan when it appears in the Federal Register on Monday.