Pelosi laments Senate hurdles to oil-spill bills, calls for new efforts

Pelosi called on Republicans — who now control the House thanks to last year’s elections — to act on bills that passed in the 111th Congress.

“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,” Pelosi said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said in a statement that “[t]he damage of BP’s devastating oil spill will be felt for years to come.”

He also said the accident lays bare the need to curb reliance on oil.

“We must invest more quickly and more significantly in job-creating American clean energy projects that will strengthen our economy, environment and national security, as well as setting long-term policies to promote clean alternatives to oil. At this critical time in the recovery of our economy, we cannot afford to keep giving huge tax breaks to big oil companies that even some of their executives have admitted they don’t need,” Reid said.

The Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20 of last year, killing 11 workers. BP’s ruptured Macondo well dumped several million barrels of oil into the Gulf before it was capped months later after several fits and starts.