Obama Calls On Congress To Address Spill Disaster
President Obama called on Congress to pass a bill to respond to the oil spill crisis as he appointed by executive order, a special oil commission led by former Senator Bob Graham and former EPA head during the first Bush administration Bill Reilly.
The President assured citizens that they were doing everything they could to contain the disaster, reiterating that there were 20,000 people working on the problem with 1,700 ships. He also ordered Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano to triple the number of people working in areas affected by the oil. On top of that he said that they were offering deferment of loans and new loan opportunities for those whose livelihood had been affected by the spill. He also said that he would make sure that BP pays what they owe to people affected as well.
The President said that they have an obligation (government) to investigate why this happened, adding if it was a failure of the law then Congress needed to step up and change the laws, if it was a failure of regulations then they needed to fix oversight, and if it was criminal then those that were responsible must come to justice.
Definitely feeling the heat from the growing criticism of the government response to the spill, the President commented on how corrupt the Minerals Management Service was when current Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar was appointed, attempting to distance his administration somewhat from the worst of this crisis. However, he referenced a recent Inspector General's report which investigated the relationship between the MMS and the oil industry and found incredible corruption dating from before his administration came to office. He also made it plain that he understands the loss coastal people are feeling as their whole way of life is coming to an end, pushing back against critics who say he was detached and wasn't engaged enough.
As a second step to the response, President Obama urged Congress to work with the newly minted oil commission and pass legislation to address the obvious problems which led to the disaster so that it never happens again.
Watch the President's remarks below:
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The President assured citizens that they were doing everything they could to contain the disaster, reiterating that there were 20,000 people working on the problem with 1,700 ships. He also ordered Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano to triple the number of people working in areas affected by the oil. On top of that he said that they were offering deferment of loans and new loan opportunities for those whose livelihood had been affected by the spill. He also said that he would make sure that BP pays what they owe to people affected as well.
The President said that they have an obligation (government) to investigate why this happened, adding if it was a failure of the law then Congress needed to step up and change the laws, if it was a failure of regulations then they needed to fix oversight, and if it was criminal then those that were responsible must come to justice.
Definitely feeling the heat from the growing criticism of the government response to the spill, the President commented on how corrupt the Minerals Management Service was when current Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar was appointed, attempting to distance his administration somewhat from the worst of this crisis. However, he referenced a recent Inspector General's report which investigated the relationship between the MMS and the oil industry and found incredible corruption dating from before his administration came to office. He also made it plain that he understands the loss coastal people are feeling as their whole way of life is coming to an end, pushing back against critics who say he was detached and wasn't engaged enough.
As a second step to the response, President Obama urged Congress to work with the newly minted oil commission and pass legislation to address the obvious problems which led to the disaster so that it never happens again.
Watch the President's remarks below:
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