Opens additional acreage in the Gulf of Mexico for leasing ... and allows Virginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia to opt in to leasing off their shores. Retains an environmental buffer zone extending 50 miles offshore where new oil production will not be allowed.
Support opening additional offshore drilling acreage, including allowing South Carolina to opt in to offshore leasing, while keeping a 50-mile offshore buffer zone.
Occurrences
Evidence
legacy_unverified · Source version not recorded · locator unknown
The proposal said it would open additional acreage in the Gulf of Mexico for leasing and give South Carolina the option of allowing energy exploration at least 50 miles offshore; Lindsey Graham was one of the Republican members of the Gang of 10 behind it.
legacy_unverified · Source version not recorded · locator unknown
No federal leasing had taken place on the Atlantic coast since the early 1980s; the scheduled Virginia lease sale was canceled in May 2010, and the Obama administration closed Atlantic and eastern Gulf areas to drilling on December 1, 2010.
legacy_unverified · Source version not recorded · locator unknown
Graham said he was introducing the South Carolina Offshore Drilling Act; the release described a state opt-in zone and leasing 50-100 miles offshore.
legacy_unverified · Source version not recorded · locator unknown
BOEM says the 2026-2031 proposal has 34 lease sales, but none in any Atlantic planning area.
Assessments
Graham materially advanced the promised policy during the Senate term after the 2008 campaign, including the 2008 New Energy Reform Act proposal and a 2012 South Carolina Offshore Drilling Act proposal with state opt-in leasing and a 50-mile buffer. But the promised outcome was not enacted or implemented: South Carolina did not receive offshore leasing authority or active Atlantic/South Atlantic oil and gas leasing acreage, and later federal offshore leasing programs still did not deliver Atlantic lease sales. Because there was a serious legislative attempt but no delivered policy outcome, this is a failed promise with effort credit.
Graham materially advanced the specific policy by backing the 2008 Gang of 10 energy proposal, which matched the promise to open more offshore acreage and let South Carolina opt in with a 50-mile buffer. But that proposal did not become the operative federal outcome, and the broader Atlantic offshore opening was later canceled and reversed during the same governing period. Because he made a serious legislative effort but the promised policy outcome was not delivered, this is best scored as failed with effort rather than partial delivery.