Markey Capps Urges Senate Republicans to Stop Providing Cover to BP

Call for Immediate Action on Legislation Giving Subpoena Power to Oil Spill Commission

WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass) and Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif) urged Senate Republicans to stop blocking legislation giving subpoena power to the Presidential commission investigating the BP oil spill from coming to the Senate floor for a vote. On June 8th, Markey and Capps introduced legislation to give the Presidential commission subpoena power (H.R. 5481). The bill passed the House of Representatives 420-1 on June 23, 2010.  The language was also included in the House-passed CLEAR Act (H.R. 3534).

Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced companion legislation (S. 3462) in the Senate. Previous attempts to bring the House-passed bill to the floor under unanimous consent were blocked by Senate Republicans. 

“While the commission is getting to the bottom of how this catastrophe happened, BP and other companies involved with the spill are still giving it the runaround.  Senate Republicans need to stop providing cover for Big Oil, and pass my bill giving the commission subpoena power so it can report back to the President by the January deadline with all the facts that led to this environmental and economic catastrophe.  Without this critical tool – which the co-chairmen have asked for – Big Oil will keep stonewalling the investigation in the hopes they can escape being held accountable for their mistakes.  The American people deserve a full accounting and that’s what the Senate Republicans obstruction is preventing. This bill passed the House almost unanimously, and Senate Republicans won’t even let it come to the floor. They should be embarrassed,” said Capps.

“By blocking the commission subpoena power, Republican obstructionists in the Senate are shielding BP from investigators tasked with getting to the bottom of this crime,” said Markey. “The BP oil spill was the worst environmental disaster in our nation’s history, lives were lost and livelihoods ruined. Yet Senate Republicans have chosen to stand with BP instead of with the families living and working in the Gulf.”

A copy of the letter to Majority Leader Reid and Minority Leader McConnell is below:

September 29, 2010

The Honorable Harry Reid                                                            The Honorable Mitch McConnell

Majority Leader                                                                                Minority Leader
United States Senate                                                                     United States Senate

Washington, D.C.  20510                                                               Washington, D.C.  20510

Dear Majority Leader Reid and Minority Leader McConnell:

We write to ask that you bring our legislation giving subpoena power to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling to the Senate floor for a vote this week.  The House of Representatives approved H.R. 5481 by a vote of 420-1 in June. 

As you know, previous attempts by Senator Shaheen and others to bring the House-passed bill to the Senate floor under unanimous consent were blocked by Republicans.

While the federal government has fully cooperated with the commission and its mandate, BP and other private companies involved in the spill have failed to provide accurate and timely information to investigators regarding a number of critical issues.  In fact, Commission co-chairman Bob Graham told reporters yesterday investigators have “encountered resistance to full responses to their questions.”  If these companies continue to stonewall the investigation, the commission will not be able to report back to the President with all the facts that led to this environmental and economic catastrophe.

We strongly agree with a statement from Commission co-chairman William Reilly, who also said yesterday, “It is unjustifiable for Congress not to give full authority for us to use all of the instruments of the investigative process to resolve this, for the one commission that is independent and has a national mandate.” 

The Senate must act this week so investigators can compel testimony from reticent companies and enable the commission to complete its report on the causes of the spill by the January deadline.  Without this critical tool BP and the other companies involved in the spill may escape being held accountable for their mistakes.

The people of the Gulf of Mexico and the nation deserve an explanation of all the circumstances and decisions that led up to this disaster.  Only a comprehensive independent review — with subpoena power — will ensure that the necessary lessons are learned, that practices are changed, and that future disasters are averted.  

Please advance the House-passed legislation as quickly as possible to guarantee the Commission has the appropriate tools and resources it needs to get the job done.

Sincerely,

LOIS CAPPS                                                                                                         EDWARD MARKEY

            Member of Congress                                                                                         Member of Congress

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