SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A Republican congressman is asking the Trump administration to exclude the Georgia coast from its plans for expanding offshore oil drilling.

Rep. Buddy Carter's district includes Georgia's 100-mile (160-kilometer) coast. His request to spare Georgia from oil exploration comes after Carter spent years touting drilling's potential benefits in creating jobs and improving U.S. energy independence.

Carter's letter to acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt on Wednesday came a day after Georgia state lawmakers passed a resolution opposing offshore drilling, saying it could harm tourism and commercial fishing. Carter wrote: "I believe that the federal government should respect the people of Georgia to make this critical decision for themselves."

Republican and Democratic governors from Maine to Florida have widely condemned President Donald Trump's plan to expand oil exploration off the East Coast.