California's fight over offshore drilling has escalated in Washington. 

Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Salud Carbajal, along with other California Democrats in Congress, are seeking answers from Sable Offshore over its push to restart oil production off the Santa Barbara coast.

What's happening?

In a May 27 letter sent to Sable Offshore CEO and Chairman Jim C. Flores, Schiff, Carbajal, Sen. Alex Padilla, and several House members opened an inquiry into the company's Santa Ynez Unit project and its efforts to use the Defense Production Act to help restart operations.

According to the Santa Barbara Independent, the lawmakers argue that the federal law is being stretched well beyond its intended purpose. In the letter, they said the Trump administration's use of the Defense Production Act appears to be linked to Sable's request to resume offshore oil activity near California's Gaviota Coast, despite objections from the state and ongoing legal disputes.

They also asked Sable to preserve internal records and communications dating to January 2024, including contacts with White House staff, Department of Energy officials, Trump campaign operatives, and outside intermediaries.

The letter points to a long list of legal and regulatory conflicts tied to the project, including state fines, cease-and-desist orders, civil lawsuits, shareholder complaints, and criminal charges filed in 2025.

Lawmakers also raised concerns about political donations from Sable executives to Trump-aligned groups and questioned whether those financial ties overlapped with discussions about reviving the oil project.

Why does it matter?

At the center of the dispute is whether federal power can be used to override state environmental protections and revive an offshore oil system connected to pipelines that have sat dormant for more than a decade.

California lawmakers say the stakes are high for coastal communities. Offshore drilling and pipeline work can threaten beaches, wildlife habitat, water quality, and tourism-dependent local economies. The letter also points to the 2015 Refugio State Beach oil spill, which involved the same pipeline network now at issue.

What's being done?

Congressional Democrats are pressing Sable for detailed answers about its communications with Trump, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, White House officials, and federal attorneys. They also requested copies of any letters or other messages sent to DOE seeking use of the Defense Production Act.

At the state level, California has already been fighting the restart through regulators and the courts.

According to the letter, the California Coastal Commission imposed major penalties over alleged unpermitted work; state fire officials said a restart was out of question because safety standards were not met; and Attorney General Rob Bonta has challenged the federal government's use of the Defense Production Act in court.

Schiff has also publicly opposed the drilling restart in recent months, including through an opinion piece, a rally with Central Coast environmental leaders, and earlier letters to Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Trump administration.

"The administration's reliance on the Defense Production Act (DPA) … is a serious misuse of a federal law meant to be involved for national security reasons, not to enrich an industry already making record profits," the lawmakers wrote. "... Californians do not want oil production restarting along their coasts and have voted repeatedly for California laws that block coastal oil production."

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