“These are rented rigs, and they go from place to place,” Axelrod said on “Fox News Sunday.” “It’s not an optimal situation, but obviously we’re dealing with the greatest environmental catastrophe of all time….It’s been a tremendous tragedy for that region. We don’t want a repeat of it because we’re imprudent.”

Critics of the moratorium have warned that the drilling rigs sign long-term contracts and that once they depart for other parts of the world, they may not return for years. One rig is already set to move from the Gulf to Egypt.