Vitter: Democrats are playing to the cameras, not fighting oil spill

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) is accusing senior Democrats of
“rushing to create media events for television” instead of working to confront
the oil spill crisis in the Gulf of Mexico.

Vitter – delivering the GOP’s weekly address Saturday – also
warned against using the fatal April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig
and the ongoing spill as a reason to block future offshore drilling. 

{mosads}Vitter cited his meetings with Gulf Coast fishermen and
other residents whose lives have been disrupted by the spill, drawing a
contrast to what he called counterproductive Washington hearings.

“That’s
why it’s so frustrating to many Louisianans that while the crisis actually
continues in the Gulf – while we’re still fighting to contain the well –
Washington Democratic Committee Chairmen have rushed to create media events for
television cameras instead of devoting full attention to stopping the immediate
problem,” Vitter said.

“I
guess it’s typical of the culture in Washington for politicians to believe that
they can solve an ongoing crisis with statements and testimonies in
Congressional committee rooms. But the time for committee hearings is for
after the well has been capped – not before,” he added.

Vitter’s
comments follow two weeks of high-profile congressional hearings with officials
from oil giant BP and top Obama administration officials, with more on tap.

Vitter
also touted legislation he introduced with Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) that
would raise the cap on oil companies’ liability for offshore spills.

The
current cap on economic damages is $75 million. Their plan would set a cap equal
to the last four quarters of the responsible party’s profits or double the
current limit, whichever is greater, Vitter said.

Senate
Democrats are pushing separate legislation that would raise the cap to $10
billion, but Republicans have twice blocked that plan on the Senate floor,
alleging it would make it financially impossible for smaller companies to
operate offshore.

Vitter also highlighted other provisions of his bill aimed
at ensuring adequate supplies of floating containment structures called oil
boom.

“The bill would establish much greater reserve requirements
for the amount of boom – capable of withstanding up to six-foot waves – and
would direct work on technology to effectively cap leaks like the one currently
gushing in the Gulf,” he said.

The accident at the rig leased to BP has prompted some
Democrats and environmentalists to call for new limits on offshore drilling and
a reversal of Obama administration plans to expand oil-and-gas leasing.

“Some
in Washington have tried to seize on this real human tragedy in the Gulf to
advocate for a radical new energy agenda,” Vitter said. “That only cheapens the
loss of those who’ve lost loved ones and brushes aside the ongoing, unsolved
problem to spring forward with an emotionally charged political agenda.”

His
address also calls for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to “work immediately
with our state to build up and extend our barrier islands made from materials
dredged from the immediate area – our rivers and deltas.”