Ed Markey

I think there needs to be a very significant increase.

Unfortunately, the monetary penalties associated with these violations, which led to the worst environmental disaster in American history, would amount to only $21 million for BP and $12 million for Halliburton and Transocean.

There was no consultative process on the second panel whatsoever.

The facts are in. And it is well past time for this Committee and this Congress to enact comprehensive legislation to ensure that we prevent a similar disaster in the future.

As the Democratic spill response bill would do, we need to hold these companies responsible for their actions, and we need to ensure that the agencies here today are working to implement the safety reforms recommended by the Joint…

We need to ensure that there are sufficient financial incentives in place to deter oil companies from cutting corners.

That fine, obviously, does not even begin to approach the amount needed to be a deterrent against a repeat of this tragedy.

Considering what we know about what caused this disaster, BP should stand for 'bigger penalties'.

It is time to hold these companies fully accountable for this spill.

I feel compelled to note that the Minority was not notified that these additional witnesses would testify until very late on Tuesday.

The facts are in and it is well past time for this Committee and this Congress to enact comprehensive legislation to ensure that we prevent a similar disaster in the future.

The Republican Majority has blocked all legislative action because they said they wanted to wait until all the facts were in before taking action to respond to the spill.

More than one year has passed since BP's blown out well finally stopped spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico, but Congress has not enacted a single legislative reform in response to the worst environmental disaster in American history.

I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) will be postponed. Amendment No. 2 Offered by Ms. Edwards

Again, the EPA has estimated that delaying the boiler air pollution rules could cause upwards of 6,600 deaths per year. That's the estimate, but that might be lowballing the number. We all know that parents out there are very concerned…

Amendment No. 7. I rise as the designee to offer amendment No. 7. Parliamentary Inquiry

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Womack). The Clerk will designate the amendment. Is the gentleman offering amendment No. 7?

I think that you have to give President Obama some credit for degree of credibility, and having the worst environmental disaster of all time.

You want to persecute the agency that is asking for help, and then claim that you are persecuted because they are not moving more quickly.

Mr. Chairman, if I may.

What we have learned over and over again is that BP has been more concerned with its own bottom line than it has been with what is going on in the bottom of the ocean.

We are not seeing the same attention being paid to that as we saw to the sea lion issue with 3,000 salmon total on the West Coast.

So that $35 million, I hope, is going to be restored. But I think the chances of that are zero.

You can't have it both ways. You can't kill the program that the Administration wants in order to expedite the handling of it, and then complain that it is not being handled fast enough.

We should ensure that there is proper monitoring of the Gulf ecosystem so that we are ready to adapt to possible impacts of the spill on fish and other species.