WASHINGTON – In advance of President Obama’s trip to the Florida Panhandle today, June 15, yesterday U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson continued to insist that BP and the White House take steps to keep taxpayers from having to foot the bill for the massive cleanup. The Florida Democrat also stressed that now is the time for the administration to launch a full-scale effort to get the U.S. off its dependence on oil.
Nelson was in Pensacola yesterday, June 14, for a first-hand look at the impact the oil spill was having on the Panhandle region. President Obama is due to be there today as he responds to growing concerns over the BP oil spill. The state’s tourism and commercial fishing industries already are feeling the impact.
To help, Nelson and other Senate Democrats released a letter addressed to BP’s CEO, Tony Hayward asking that Hayward set up a trust fund with a $20 billion advance “as an act of good faith and as a first step toward ensuring that there will be no delay in payments or attempt to evade responsibility for damages”.
“The costs associated with the spill are being vastly underestimated by both BP as well as some government officials,” Nelson said today. “We have to fight to ensure that it’s BP, not the taxpayers, bearing the financial brunt of this disaster.”
From the outset, Nelson has pushed to hold BP accountable. He filed legislation to raise the liability the company faced for economic and environmental damages from $75 million to $10 billion. As the spill grew, he said that $10 billion might not even be enough, asserting that BP should be prepared to pay an unlimited amount.
Over the past few weeks, Nelson also has been a vocal critic of the handling of the spill, calling repeatedly for control of cleanup operations to be under the supervision of a military-like command and control operation.
Yesterday, while in Pensacola, Nelson said it was time for Obama to step out front – as President Kennedy did in sending Americans to the moon – to launch a full-blown initiative to free the U.S. from its dependence on oil. “If ever there was a time, this is it,” Nelson said.
For years, the Senator has opposed drilling for oil off Florida’s coast “for reasons”, he said, “Are exemplified by this abominable tragedy”.
Nelson was in Pensacola yesterday, June 14, for a first-hand look at the impact the oil spill was having on the Panhandle region. President Obama is due to be there today as he responds to growing concerns over the BP oil spill. The state’s tourism and commercial fishing industries already are feeling the impact.
To help, Nelson and other Senate Democrats released a letter addressed to BP’s CEO, Tony Hayward asking that Hayward set up a trust fund with a $20 billion advance “as an act of good faith and as a first step toward ensuring that there will be no delay in payments or attempt to evade responsibility for damages”.
“The costs associated with the spill are being vastly underestimated by both BP as well as some government officials,” Nelson said today. “We have to fight to ensure that it’s BP, not the taxpayers, bearing the financial brunt of this disaster.”
From the outset, Nelson has pushed to hold BP accountable. He filed legislation to raise the liability the company faced for economic and environmental damages from $75 million to $10 billion. As the spill grew, he said that $10 billion might not even be enough, asserting that BP should be prepared to pay an unlimited amount.
Over the past few weeks, Nelson also has been a vocal critic of the handling of the spill, calling repeatedly for control of cleanup operations to be under the supervision of a military-like command and control operation.
Yesterday, while in Pensacola, Nelson said it was time for Obama to step out front – as President Kennedy did in sending Americans to the moon – to launch a full-blown initiative to free the U.S. from its dependence on oil. “If ever there was a time, this is it,” Nelson said.
For years, the Senator has opposed drilling for oil off Florida’s coast “for reasons”, he said, “Are exemplified by this abominable tragedy”.
I agree with Senator Nelson, Mayor Van. It's time for President Obama to step out front and lead. To date, we have been led too much by BP and Big Oil. The President could start by asking for the Army Corp of Engineers' technical expertise in helping us FILL IN OUR PASSES, AND KEEP "BP'S OIL OUT OF OUR BAY!!!. We need a rapid intervention corp of engineers down here, ASAP. PRESIDENT OBAMA, alone, has the power to make this happen. I learned at the Franklin BOCC meeting today that they have not been consulted AT ALL, to date, in the Deep Horizon Oil Spill response. Could this really be possible?
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