Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during a Conservative parents group "Moms for Liberty" event, on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention (RNC), in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 16, 2024. REUTERS/Marco Bello

(Reuters) -Florida Republicans, including Governor Ron DeSantis, said they oppose a Trump administration plan that could allow new oil and gas drilling in waters off the state's Gulf Coast.

The reactions came in response to an Interior Department proposal published on Thursday that contemplates future oil leasing in the eastern portion of the Gulf of Mexico, an area used extensively for military testing and training.

The region was withdrawn from consideration for energy development by Congress nearly two decades ago, and President Donald Trump, a Republican, extended that moratorium in 2020 during his first administration at the behest of Florida officials.

"Our Administration supports the 2020 Presidential Memorandum and urges the Department of Interior to reconsider and to conform to the 2020 Trump Administration policy," Molly Best, a spokesperson for DeSantis, said in an emailed statement on Friday.

Best noted the ban on drilling in Florida's state waters and the importance of the Eastern Gulf to military activities.

The Department of Defense declined to comment on the plan. The Interior Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Florida's Republican senators, Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, also criticized the proposal in posts on X.

"I have been speaking to (Interior Secretary Doug Burgum) and made my expectations clear that this moratorium must remain in place, and that in any plan, Florida's coasts must remain off the table for oil drilling to protect Florida's tourism, environment, and military training opportunities," Scott said in a post on Thursday.

Moody called the proposal concerning and urged her Congressional colleagues to support legislation that would ban drilling off Florida's Gulf and Atlantic coasts.

"Preserving our state’s natural beauty is deeply important to the millions who call the Sunshine State home, our visitors, and those whose livelihoods depend on tourism," Moody wrote.

(Reporting by Nichola Groom; editing by Diane Craft)