Chris Wright and Doug Burgum said California now imports more than 60% of its oil from overseas, framing that dependence as a national security risk rather than just a cost issue.
Wright argued restarting previously drilled wells at the offshore Sable Oil Project near Santa Barbara would cut reliance on foreign crude and bolster fuel security for California's 30 military facilities.
Burgum blamed Gov. Gavin Newsom's energy policies and shrinking refinery capacity for higher gasoline prices and deeper import dependence, saying Iraq was California's top foreign supplier earlier this year.
The warning comes as Middle East instability keeps energy security in focus and the Trump administration presses domestic oil production as support for manufacturing, power demand and AI growth.