Political Quotes

“Ladies and gentlemen of the House, on April 20, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling platform sank the vessel, resulting in the death of 11 men and injury to at least 17 others. We are honored to have four of the widows of the men here, including the father of Gordon Jones, Attorney Keith Jones; Mrs. Shelley Anderson; Mrs. Courtney Kemp; and Mrs. Natalie Roshto. They have joined us in the gallery to observe these proceedings. They were also at the Judiciary Committee hearings. This April 20 disaster has now become the most massive environmental disaster in our Nation's history, poisoning widespread swaths of the Gulf of Mexico, killing wildlife, ruining wetlands, and wreaking economic havoc in the Gulf States. It has highlighted not only gaps in our ability to engage in and to regulate deepwater drilling, but also major legal gaps have been discovered in the applicable statutes that are adversely impacting victims. Our measure from the Judiciary Committee focuses on repairing these flaws so that the victims of this disaster can get their treatment. We have found that the current state of law regarding these liability issues is outdated, unfair and operates against our national interests. The three key laws all date from the mid-1800s--the Death on High Seas Act, the Jones Act, and the Limitation on Liability Act.…”