On the recordFebruary 16, 2012
I thank my colleague from Louisiana for yielding. Mr. Chairman, nearly 2 years ago, the Deepwater Horizon explosion took the lives of 11 Americans--and four of those were Mississippians-- and caused an oil spill of epic proportions. For 86 days, millions of barrels of oil gushed into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, washed up on our beaches, and threatened the ecosystems and the economic stability of an entire region of the country. The road to recovery for the gulf coast has been a long one, and it's not over. With this amendment, we take a huge step forward in making things right for those most devastated by this spill. These fines are not taxpayer funds. The Federal Government, as my colleague from Alabama said, should not profit from the gulf coast's pain and suffering. At a time when Congress agrees on so little, this effort has broad bipartisan support in both Houses of Congress, and external, too-- conservation and sportsmen. Many agree that restoring and replenishing the gulf coast is more than a responsible decision; it is the right thing to do.
