One Year Later: We Are Still Fighting

Statement

Dear Friend,

Like most of you, Sharon and I spent Wednesday in prayer and mourning for the 11 lives lost in the tragic Deepwater Horizon disaster. As we grieve, we also yearn for the day when our oil and gas workers will return to work and provide for their families and when BP will be held fully accountable for the damages. Today, I am emailing you to touch base on progress made on these two fronts.

Picture of Congressman on Fox News

Since I took office, I have been working hard to get our economy in South Louisiana back on its feet. After listening to you -- I have introduced legislation, asked tough questions at committee hearings, and advocated on the House floor for an increase in production of domestic energy and a decrease in our country's dependence on foreign oil. My strong positions have received much media attention -- from being cited as the House's leading advocate for domestic drilling to being attacked by those who may not understand how critical our region is to lowering gas prices and creating jobs. You may have seen one of my appearances on national cable television calling for the President to end his de facto moratorium; if not, I encourage to watch the video on the right and go to my YouTube page here.

As the Representative for our oil and gas workers, I am bound to protect the men and women working on the rigs. They are not only my constituents; they are also my neighbors, my fellow parishioners, my closest friends, and some of you. When our men and women return to the platforms, they must return to a workplace that is safer than it was before the spill. Due to the efforts of Helix, the Marine Well Containment Company, and all those who drill offshore, the industry is safer than ever before. However, as positive as these efforts are, they really only address the protection of the environment; these efforts don't address the safety of the lives of the men and women working on the platforms who are delivering the energy for tomorrow's economy. As you all know, I am fully committed to fighting for our oil and gas jobs to return and to making sure our oil and gas workers come home to their families after they spent weeks out in the Gulf extracting the energy our nation needs to create jobs.

For this reason, I introduced the Offshore Installation Emergency Evacuation Act -- requiring a standby vessel to be stationed within 12 miles of offshore drilling installations. This bill recognizes that the most valuable resource in the Gulf of Mexico is not the oil and gas underneath the Gulf, but the men and women who are willing to risk their lives to extract it. I know that standby vessels are not a complete solution to drilling emergencies; however, helicopters and lifeboats are not complete solutions either. We need a third leg of the worker protection stool, a reliable vessel on scene that can quickly assist in times of emergency. I hope you will help me in getting this bill passed quickly.

Recently, Senator Vitter and I introduced legislation which would require expedited coastal and fishery recovery and restoration from the oil spill. The bill requires a down payment on the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process to address resources that were harmed by the spill. Like many of you, I am tired of BP using every trick and turn of the court process to prolong their obligation to pay for the damages they have caused to Louisiana's natural resources. Our bill forces BP to make a choice: pay 30 percent of what they owe right now or negotiate in good faith; delaying the payment is no longer an option. Again, I ask you help us in getting this legislation passed quickly.

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