James Oberstar: “Your seriousness of purpose is very reassuring to me and should be reassuring to the whole Country.”

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.

Again, the acquisition of replacement land is available and authorized under OPA 90. What this amendment does is clarify that in that replacement you can replace that part of the ecosystem that has been irresponsibly damaged with better…

We want to protect our waters. We want to protect our wetlands. We want to provide for future generations.

We are going to hold them accountable. The Coast Guard will hold them accountable. I do want to point out that the emergency fund is an account within the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. It is not a separate fund of its own. Further, as…