Urges Majority to support Republican proposals that create jobs, prevent future disasters

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo) delivered the following statement at a Senate press conference about the need for a bipartisan energy bill:

“This oil spill in the Gulf is the greatest environmental disaster in the history of this country.

“While we saw committee meetings where oil executives pointed fingers at one another, the Administration struggled to get a handle on the situation.

“The response was delayed.  The response was disorganized.

“The response lacked direction and it lacked decisiveness.

“There was no clear chain of command.

“We all know the problems and what we do need now are the right solutions.

“We now have an opportunity to do everything possible to ensure that a disaster never happens again.

“Republicans have good ideas—good ideas on how to fix this problem and improve the federal government’s response.

“We need a better plan in the future – regardless of who is President in the future.

“So our bill requires the White House to have a clear, accountable chain of command in response to oil spills.

“It requires the White House to provide a system for coordinating and promptly responding to state and local officials.

“It ensures victims are compensated and the claims process is fair and is fast. And also protects jobs in the Gulf.

“I want to talk a little bit about liability. Offshore oil spill liability needs to be reformed so that victims of disasters receive the compensation that they deserve.

“The Democrat bill removes the liability cap entirely. Well that makes for a good sound bite, but it doesn’t make for sound policy.

“In fact, removing the cap essentially creates an offshore drilling monopoly—monopoly for the biggest oil and gas companies.

“Once again, Washington is making another bad policy decision that in my opinion will kill jobs and drive small companies out of business. 

“The Republican bill’s liability limits are based on common sense risk factors such as the water depth where the drilling is occurring and the company’s previous history. 

“It establishes a system where claims beyond the liability cap are paid for by all of the companies drilling offshore. 

“It also ensures that folks in the surrounding areas are fairly compensated and all companies share that risk. 

“Small independent producers have employed thousands of people in the Gulf—and they’ve done that for decades. 

“They create jobs that produce 30 percent of the oil in the Gulf of Mexico and more than 60 percent of the natural gas.

“So instead of punishing these companies, we should set up a fair system. A system that compensates victims quickly, compensates them fairly and allows the small and medium sized companies to continue to operate.

“Americans want us to work together to find solutions to the problem and the right solution to prevent a further disaster.

“The Senate should come together on a bipartisan oil spill legislation.
 
“That’s what the American people want.  And that’s what they deserve.”

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