A message from Congressman Mike Ross regarding BP oil spill

Americans certainly aren’t immune to devastating disasters. Neither is Arkansas for that matter. Whether it be tornadoes, floods, ice or fire, we have experienced our fair share of natural disasters over the years. You can’t stop a natural disaster. So, after each event, you look at warning and response times and determine what could be done to save more lives in the future.
However, man-made disasters are different. Man-made tragedies are often preventable, which we have learned in the BP Gulf oil spill. This man-made disaster has already taken thirteen lives and ruined thousands of miles of coastline and sensitive ecosystem. The economic and environmental impact will almost certainly be far-reaching and long-lasting, affecting commerce and energy prices throughout the United States.
We must learn from man-made disasters like the BP Gulf oil spill so as to do everything in our power to prevent another similar tragedy in the future. We immediately do the same after every airplane crash, every military accident and every building collapse. If we wait too long, people’s memories fade and critical data gets lost. That is why we must act and begin the learning process now.
I support the President’s recently-signed Executive Order that establishes the bipartisan National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. The Commission—co-chaired by former Senator Bob Graham of Florida and former EPA Administrator Bill Reilly—is tasked with providing recommendations on how we can prevent future spills that result from offshore drilling and diminish any impact.
However, if this Commission is to have any real power to demand honest answers and cooperation from BP, it must have the legal authority to do so. That is why last week I voted to give subpoena power to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling.
Giving the bipartisan Commission subpoena power is key to ensuring that it can conduct a complete analysis of the systemic industry and regulatory failures that led to this tragedy and avoid future disasters. Subpoena power will ensure the Commission cannot be stonewalled by BP or any other entity in its search for answers and can get testimony from crucial participants, like those who spotted a dangerous leak signaling a problem with the blowout preventer prior to the initial explosion.
Congress has previously granted subpoena power to commissions investigating national crises, including the Warren Commission following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the Three Mile Island Commission following the 1979 incident at the Pennsylvania nuclear power plant.
We must learn how to prevent tragedies like the BP Gulf oil spill so that we can continue drilling for oil in the safest possible manner because we absolutely need to drill. Our way of life is dependent upon a stable supply of oil and natural gas. If we aren’t getting it here at home, then we’re forced to buy it from foreign countries. That’s why I opposed the President’s six-month moratorium on drilling, which a federal judge recently overturned. I also opposed his decision because many in south Arkansas work on oil rigs and this moratorium could leave them without a job and could increase prices we see at the gas pump.
Moving forward, our number one priority must absolutely be to stop the leak and clean up the oil. At the same time, we must ensure that all oil companies are using the latest technology, that they’re not cutting corners, and that there is smart, effective oversight. These things can be fixed without a six-month moratorium.
This oil spill is a wakeup call that must result in better government oversight, more advanced technology, stronger response plans and improved safety standards by BP and every oil company in America.
Above all, this disaster is a learning experience that will help us prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again. I am hopeful the Commission’s work and the ongoing congressional hearings can provide the answers and solutions necessary to begin that process.