Mary Landrieu

We will lose more coastline from this disaster in Louisiana than we lost with Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike combined.

I hope today they will be given an opportunity to talk, Senator Lieberman, about the balance necessary between what you said: The need for oil and the jobs that they represent from their parishes, but also the need to have a clean and…

We want to make sure that BP is responsive to the parishes

I am asking can you give any time certain, can you give any confidence that we can keep our people at work...

The report does not justify the moratorium as written. The moratorium as changed will not contribute measurably to increased safety and will have an immediate and long-term economic effect.

Nobody is suggesting these consumption numbers are going to go down any time soon.

This moratorium will exacerbate, rather than alleviate, the impacts of this spill upon Louisiana's economy and the environment.

The intent of this report was to improve the safety of oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico, not shut it down.

I do not believe a 6 month moratorium achieves the results intended.

Losing tens of thousands of jobs will be a catastrophic blow to an already tragic situation.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman for holding this important hearing. I begin each hearing remembering those who lives were lost in this terrible accident.

On behalf of the people that I represent, the last thing they need is more loans.

I would like to thank the Chairwoman for putting in the Southeast Hurricane Small Business Disaster Relief Act of 2010 and support that concept of aiding some of these people that have Small Business Administration loans so that they could…

The claims process at BP as set up, in my opinion, at this point is adequate to accomplish the goals to help people back to the dock.

There is no question who will pay these bills to individuals, to business, to the parish, and to the government. Those bills will be paid in full.

So would it be fair to say that you are encouraging them to seek relief through the claims process first and then only fall back on loans if there is some trouble or situation that is not being handled appropriately through claims?

It is not the strongest of the species who survive nor the most intelligent, but the most responsive to change.

If you made $50,000 last year and you cannot work this year because of BP and the accident, BP is going to write you a check for $50,000.

I think--overall, however, I think that a primary point is, 'the polluter pays' should be at the core of this.

I couldn't agree with you more, the polluter should pay. BP should be--pay everything, as I've said; and if anyone else was at fault, they should, as well.

So, whether the Congress moves to a $10-billion cap, as suggested by Senator Menendez and others, or the unlimited cap, as suggested by the administration...

That's good's to know, that not everybody in Louisiana is going to have hire an attorney.

I agree with you on that, that they're not sufficient.

I want to go back to this liability question, because Senator Menendez and others have recommended a cap, I think, for the whole offshore, but he clarified, just a moment ago, for deepwater, so I'm not sure, but a cap of 10 billion.

Oil is now also washing up on coastal beaches and wetlands.