On the recordJune 25, 2015
As in the case with many of the amendments today before us, I cannot support the offset. Let me say this: EPA may be reimbursed for oil spill response activities from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. Now, personally, I think EPA should have direct access to that trust fund to avoid the delays, these administrative reimbursement delays, when responding to an oil spill such as what happened in California. However, that is an authorizing issue, not an appropriating issue. That is the proper place because those dollars will be there eventually to clean that up, and we just need to clean up the bureaucracy to have more immediacy in that process. This offset, I cannot support; and so, for that reason, I oppose the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
