Trump administration's Endangered Species Committee exempts Gulf of Mexico oil and gas drilling from Endangered Species Act protections

The U.S. government's Endangered Species Committee convened for the first time in over three decades on Tuesday and voted unanimously to exempt oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from Endangered Species Act requirements. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requested the exemption citing national security concerns amid the ongoing Iran war and rising energy prices. Environmental groups criticized the decision and pledged to challenge it in court, warning it could lead to the extinction of Rice's whales and harm other protected marine species.