Pending BP Legislation in the United State Senate

From the Office of Senator Al Franken, in response to an inquiry from me:

Thank you for contacting me about the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. I appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns with me on this critical issue.

As you know, on April 20, 2010, an explosion occurred on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig off the coast of Louisiana, leaving 11 workers dead. The rig caught fire and sank, spilling millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. This oil spill is a travesty -- it has devastated the environment, the economy, and the way of life for many communities along the Gulf Coast. I was deeply disappointed by BP's neglect of safety and lack of progress in stopping the leak in the Gulf. This accident has also exposed the federal government's woefully inadequate oversight of the drilling industry.

BP must be held responsible for all costs incurred as a result of the oil spill. By all accounts BP had no viable plan in place to deal with an accident of this magnitude. This is unacceptable, and taxpayers must not be left holding the bag. That's why I've cosponsored S. 3472, the Big Oil Bailout Prevention Unlimited Liability Act, which would eliminate the oil spill liability cap that currently limits economic damages paid by oil companies to $75 million. I am also an original cosponsor of S. 3462, which would grant subpoena power to President Obama's Oil Spill Commission that is investigating BP. This will ensure that the bipartisan commission has access to all the evidence it needs to fully investigate the causes of the spill and make meaningful recommendations on how to prevent similar disasters.

This spill is a call to action -- it is time to pass comprehensive energy and climate legislation to end our country's dependence on fossil fuels and transition to clean, renewable energy sources like wind, biofuels, and biomass from Minnesota. For this reason, Senate Majority Leader Reid introduced S. 3663, the Clean Energy Jobs and Oil Company Accountability Act. This bill would eliminate the $75 million liability cap for oil spill damages, improve the claims process for victims of the spill, provide for better regulation of the oil and gas industry, and improve oil spill response and prevention programs. The legislation would also authorize the Home Star energy-efficiency retrofit program, provide tax breaks for natural gas vehicles and infrastructure, and boost funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

I'm glad this legislation would finally hold BP accountable for the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, and I support the provisions to provide rebates for Minnesotans to retrofit their homes and to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund. While it is an important first step, this bill falls far short of the comprehensive energy bill that I had hoped to see this year. It fails to put a price on carbon and does not include a Renewable Electricity Standard, which is critical for the growth of Minnesota's wind and other renewable energy industries. I am currently reviewing this legislation as well as the various other energy and climate proposals before Congress.

Please be assured that I will continue to closely monitor the Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup and will keep your thoughts in mind should legislation regarding offshore drilling come before the Senate for consideration.