On the recordFebruary 16, 2012
I thank the gentleman for yielding. I'm pleased to join my colleagues today in support of this amendment. Let's be clear: Today's amendment, even if adopted, is not the end of our efforts to make the gulf coast whole after the tragic BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill almost 2 years ago. But make no mistake: This amendment is critically important as a step toward that end. The creation of the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund is absolutely essential if we're going to ensure that the penalties paid by BP and the other responsible parties are set aside for future expenditure to remediate the long-term environmental and economic damage done to each of the five Gulf Coast States. Mr. Chairman, the Federal Government should not benefit from the tragedy that occurred in our backyard. And I can't say enough, thanks to Chairman Hastings and his leadership for giving us this opportunity with this amendment for this broader effort. I urge adoption of the amendment.
