Changes

{{cquote| "For too long, for a decade or more, there has been a cozy relationship between the oil companies and the federal agency that permits them to drill. It seems as if permits were too often issued based on little more than assurances of safety from the oil companies. That cannot and will not happen anymore."}}

{{cquote| "For too long, for a decade or more, there has been a cozy relationship between the oil companies and the federal agency that permits them to drill. It seems as if permits were too often issued based on little more than assurances of safety from the oil companies. That cannot and will not happen anymore."}}

Whitehouse spokesman [[Robert Gibbs]] did his best to put a good spin on the disaster saying the response was "comprehensive and fast" and the Coast Guard and Interior Department were on the scene almost immediately. Meanwhile, the Democrat-led Congress ordered public hearings from oil executives. Again, Obama would point fingers saying the answers from oil executives were a "ridiculous spectacle", "You had executives of BP and Transocean and Halliburton falling over each other to point the finger of blame at somebody else." <ref>[http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/burning_rig_of_fire_VkeuMCffwTUd9IBS7gUV7K?CMP=OTC-rss&FEEDNAME=#ixzz0oWm4u9zQ New look at Gulf oil spill as cleanup continues, NYPost, May 15, 2010]</ref>

[[White House]] spokesman [[Robert Gibbs]] did his best to put a good spin on the disaster saying the response was "comprehensive and fast" and the Coast Guard and Interior Department were on the scene almost immediately. Meanwhile, the [[Democrat]]-led Congress ordered public hearings from oil executives. [[U.S. House of Representatives|House]] Democratic Majority Leader [[Steny Hoyer]] publicly admitted the [[Obama administration]] was ill-prepared to deal with the situation.<ref>[http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/2010/04/mms-thought-deepwater-horizon-was-awardwinningly-safe.html MMS Thought Deepwater Horizon was Award-Winningly SAFE,] The Project on Government Oversight, Exposing Government Corruption, 29 April 2010.</ref> Again, Obama would point fingers saying the answers from oil executives were a "ridiculous spectacle", "You had executives of BP and Transocean and Halliburton falling over each other to point the finger of blame at somebody else." <ref>[http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/burning_rig_of_fire_VkeuMCffwTUd9IBS7gUV7K?CMP=OTC-rss&FEEDNAME=#ixzz0oWm4u9zQ New look at Gulf oil spill as cleanup continues, NYPost, May 15, 2010]</ref>

[[New Jersey]] Democrat Senator Menedez wants a ban on new offshore drilling permits. In addition, he submitted a bill that would retroactively raise the financial liability of BP from $75 million to $10 billion. <ref>[http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2010/05/senator-menendez-on-oil-spill-no-new-drilling-permits.html Senator Menendez on Oil Spill: No New Drilling Permits, ABCNews, May 12, 2010]</ref> Oklahoma [[Republican]] Senator Inhofe successfully killed the bill saying it would reduce competition and shut down smaller independent oil companies in favor of larger companies.

[[New Jersey]] Democrat Senator [[Robert Menendez]] wants a ban on new offshore drilling permits. In addition, he submitted a bill that would retroactively raise the financial liability of BP from $75 million to $10 billion. <ref>[http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2010/05/senator-menendez-on-oil-spill-no-new-drilling-permits.html Senator Menendez on Oil Spill: No New Drilling Permits, ABCNews, May 12, 2010]</ref> Oklahoma [[Republican]] Senator [[James Inhofe]] successfully killed the bill saying it would reduce competition and shut down smaller independent oil companies in favor of larger companies.

== Deepwater Horizons ==

== Deepwater Horizons ==