David Vitter

Concern has obviously been raised about the dispersants.

If that package is paid for. I will be happy to produce all of the pay-fors. I will be happy to produce ways to responsibly pay for that package. If that package is handled responsibly that way, absolutely yes.

I would encourage us all, again, to look to the areas and the people hit economically by this event, and give them the business first, and mitigate their losses first.

When you're dealing with people who are hurting, you focus on the people who are hurting.

I think it's fair and reasonable that we look to them first to mitigate their losses, before we do anything else.

I just wanted to express three things. First of all, I join with everyone in expressing our deep condolences to Mrs. Roshto and Mrs. Anderson.

The fact that BP put out some solicitation about some category of ships doesn't boost my confidence.

I think, in many different ways, the Federal response has been, and remains, inadequate.

Universal service is an important issue everywhere. It's certainly important in Louisiana, which is relatively rural.

I think we need to come together around things on which we agree. I think those things are and should be bipartisan and we should not bend over backwards to somehow make them partisan in this silly game. ... It is not right. It is politics…

I am also concerned, as I know you are, by the enormous hit small business is facing by the drilling moratorium.

There is a de facto moratorium right now because the Administration is not prepared to take new permit applications under their new rules yet.

This amendment does not block the tax increase, period. It does not. It simply says the money has to be used to clean up oil spills, and it cannot be used as an offset for other spending. Please support this amendment.

I urge support for the Vitter amendment. It does two very simple things: It says any money coming into the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund can only be used to clean up oil spills. It also says the money cannot be used as an offset for…

I apologize to Senator Lautenberg. As a member of the Committee coming from the most affected State by this ongoing crisis, for having the gall to have legislation to try to address it now.

I would again urge us and plead that we can act to address the ongoing crisis in the Gulf through a focused bill.

The point is that we need a permanent revision of the law, but there is clearly disagreement about how to do that.

It establishes an expedited claims process because it is crucial that these folks not just be made whole eventually, but they start to be made whole now because they are struggling month to month.

It absolutely does that without equivocation to give certainty on that issue to the people of the Gulf Coast who are going through an ongoing crisis.

This bill is very simple. You have it before you. It does two things. First of all it removes any and all liability cap on BP for this event.

I have a bill directly on point that lifts all liability caps on BP for this event, but also sets up an expedited claim process.

I want to thank Senator Murkowski for her great work on this.

I would hope that really immediately, by UC hopefully, we could pass those two concepts put together.

I want to thank our colleague Lisa for her enormous contribution on this expedited claims idea.

That is absolutely my intention. That is what this bill would do. Several Senators on the other side correctly pointed out that we should not depend on the goodwill of BP. So let's not depend on the goodwill of BP. Let's fix it here. Let's…