A Florida senator at the heart of the pushback on President Trump’s offshore drilling plans said he was blocking federal appointments in a move for clarity. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said he placed a hold on three nominees for positions in the Interior Department until Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke submits a new draft of a five-year lease plan for offshore drilling that preserves a moratorium on drilling in the eastern waters of the Gulf of Mexico. “In placing a hold on the nominees, Nelson has blocked the Senate from approving their nominations by a procedure known as ‘unanimous consent’ — or passage without a […]