Republican alternative saves jobs & delivers real reform

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) responded to Majority Leader Reid’s proposed energy legislation. Barrasso highlighted the Republican alternative on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

Excerpts of his remarks:

What Congress Should Learn from Oil Spill

“We need to implement reforms that prevent these accidents in the future and improve the ability to respond. A tragedy of this magnitude merits a serious bipartisan response from this body and from this country.

“Now, Congress has two options. Number one is to fix the problem. The second is to score political victories that don’t help the Gulf. My friends on the other side of the aisle appear committed to using this crisis to try to score political points.

Democrats Attempt to Rush Energy Legislation

“The bill is being written behind closed doors, not in a committee, not in front of the American people, not on C-Span, but behind closed doors. And it will likely come directly to the floor later this week without ever going to a Senate committee.

“I think it’s a fair question to ask right now: what’s going to be in the bill? Why can’t we address the oil spill in an open way, in a transparent way? Are senators going to be allowed to offer amendments, amendments that would improve the bill and increase bipartisan support?
 
Republican Alternative Oil Spill Legislation

“Republicans have introduced an oil spill alternative. The Republican bill includes several important provisions. First, the Republican bill reforms the system for managing offshore oil and gas exploration. It enhances safety requirements and it improves spill response capacity.

“The Republican bill requires that our national oil spill contingency plans include a clear, accountable chain of command. Now, that way the American people know who is in charge and who is making decisions on the ground and on the water.

“Next, the Republican bill reforms oil spill liability. The bill increases liability limits based on risk factors, such as water depth and a company’s previous history. It also sets up a system, Mr. President, where claims beyond the liability cap are paid for by all the companies drilling offshore.

“Unlike some other proposals out there, this proposal does not unfairly discriminate against small and medium sized companies that are exploring for energy in the Gulf.

“The Republican bill also lifts the overly broad drilling moratorium that’s been imposed by the Obama Administration. Rather than imposing a blanket moratorium that threatens thousands of jobs in the Gulf, the Republican bill would lift the moratorium for companies that have complied with the new safety and inspection requirements. This provision stops the Administration from compounding the economic damage that is currently occurring in the Gulf.

“The Republican bill also establishes a truly unbiased bipartisan oil spill commission to investigate the spill. The oil spill commission that was appointed by the President is stacked– stacked with people who philosophically oppose offshore exploration.

“The Republican bill helps those in the Gulf.  It will save much needed jobs and it will improve our ability to explore for offshore oil and gas well into the future.

Democrats’ Energy Legislation Lacks Transparency

“This is a crisis that has lasted for almost a hundred days– the greatest environmental disaster in the history of our country. Yet the Senate is rushing to complete a bill that no one has seen, that continues to be written behind closed doors and expected to complete it by the end of the week.

The Need for Bipartisan Legislation

“Mr. President, instead of worrying about political problems, the White House should be encouraging the Senate to work in a bipartisan way on legislation that will help prevent future accidents and to improve our federal response capacity.

“So I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to work with us. Let us come together to pass bipartisan oil spill legislation. That’s what the American people want. That’s what the American people deserve.”

###