James Oberstar: “Can you say that without the presence of the MBE language, that much of this would not have occurred?”

Well, it is to replace what has been destroyed. It's really just clarifying what is already available under OPA, but making it clear that the funds can be used for those resources that have been damaged so badly they can't be restored.

An orphan site is one of the issues to be addressed, as we do under the Superfund Act. Yet the order of priority for response under the law, its first responsibility, is for the responsible party to act to the limit of its liability under…

The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 is a bill this committee has worked on for the past 4 years, actually 6 years, starting in the time of the Republican majority, when our committee was united, our committee was unified behind this…

Yes, indeed I will say, first of all to compliment the gentleman from New Jersey on his leadership on the issue of vessel discharge. He has been a champion on this subject. We have heard his strong appeal, his reasoned approach to the…