Contact: Nadeam Elshami/Drew Hammill, 202-226-7616
Washington, D.C. - Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on the one-year anniversary of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico:
“One year ago, the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in a tragic loss of life and an environmental disaster. In the aftermath of that catastrophe, we made a commitment to America’s families and businesses: to rebuild the Gulf Coast and make local families whole, and to help ensure that a spill of this size and scope never happens again.
“Last year, under Democratic leadership, the House passed the SPILL Act, amending the Death on the High Seas Act to ensure fair compensation for the families of those killed or injured in the BP spill. We also passed legislation to give subpoena power to the President’s oil spill commission. Unfortunately, only one measure was able to clear the Senate’s 60-vote hurdle: legislation to permit the Coast Guard to obtain needed resources from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund to help with clean-up costs.
“We still need to enact major reforms, like those in the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources (CLEAR) Act that passed the House last year. Republicans in the House should consider these reforms along with several other recommendations from the BP Oil Spill Commission for what should be a bipartisan goal: more effective prevention and response to oil spills, protection of our coastal communities and waters, and holding responsible parties accountable in the event of any future spills. We need to continue to work so that domestic oil production, at its highest level since 2003, is responsible.
“On the anniversary of the BP oil spill, we recommit to reforming the current system to prevent future spills, and to ensuring a full recovery for the Gulf Coast.”