Offshore drilling

Offshore drilling harvest deposits of recoverable oil and gas, many of which lie offshore in the federally administered Outer Continental Shelf. "Federal assessments indicate that large undiscovered deposits of recoverable oil and gas lie offshore in the federally administered Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), which in 2008 was reopened for potential oil and gas leasing." Environmentalists routinely oppose this, while free market supporters favor it.

The issue was a factor in the 2008 Presidential Election, with Obama saying he favored it (although later he changed his position). Biden, who opposes more domestic oil production, said proponents of offshore drilling want to "rape" the Outer Continental Shelf.

The states of Texas and Louisiana generally support offshore drilling on their lands; Florida generally opposes it due to concerns about a potential oil spill's effect on its major industry of tourism.