Mary Landrieu

These are Federal resources. There's no doubt. This oil was 50 miles off the shore of Louisiana.

I also want to compliment you and the President for not running and hiding, for not retreating, and for restating the importance of this country continuing to press forward to identify the resources necessary for our economy to function…

With all due respect to my colleague, who I have the utmost admiration for, Senator Menendez and others that are calling for unlimited liability, it will put out of reach the possibility for insurance.

The people of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast want to know and have confidence that BP is going to do everything that they are required to under the law, and more, to pay for any damage to individuals, to businesses, et cetera.

The people of the Gulf Coast appreciate that.

I hold the Federal Government responsible for continuing to issue permits for deep-water drilling without demanding that the companies who receive those permits be prepared to deal with the effects of an accident.

I think, for us to try to be as clear as we can be about how people might actually receive assistance.

I support the President's 30-day look. I most certainly support tighter controls over deep-water wells.

We are prepared, they say, to pay above $75 million on these claims, and we will not seek reimbursement from the U.S. Government or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.

I am assuming that BP is going to step up, as they have said, and cover all of these costs.

It is important that we get this right because it has a major impact on how these wells are drilled around the world.

I hope that we will get answers to the questions that you asked in your opening statement, and I thought that they were excellent and right on point.

I wanted to make sure that the Small Business Administration here as part of our Federal system was as strong as it could be.

The law, I understand, not policy, limits the disaster loans to $5 million.

For every dollar invested in mitigation projects, the Federal Government saves four dollars in averted disaster assistance

I think some of the people that I represent are still shocked to know that some of the temporary housing in trailers... amounted to anywhere between $70,000, I think, and $90,000.

If we had more mayors like you, we wouldn't have nearly the problems that we have.

I think managing the expectations of what the Federal Government is going to do versus what the State is going to do versus what the local government is going to do is critical after a disaster.

Should we look at a more specific Disaster Block Grant that either HUD or FEMA could issue that might be a little bit more effective or efficient than just trying to use a program that wasn't created for the disaster?

I think it is necessary to do something so that mayors and governors--and so, Mayor, let me ask you.

From my perspective, it is clearly not working when it comes to these mega-disasters.

Thank you, Senator Landrieu, for your steadfast commitment to the complete recovery of all the Gulf Coast States from the 2005 hurricanes.

I generally agree with that, but I will say that I think there needs to be some understanding of some of these contained situations...

I cannot do any of this going forward without the Disaster Recovery Fund being replenished with supplemental

I am very happy to conduct this hearing this afternoon to focus on continued reform of the Stafford Act.