Political Quotes

“Wall Street isn't the only place where a reckless pursuit of profits has proven destructive. In the weeks since the Deepwater Horizon explosion, as much as 20 million gallons have spewed into the Gulf of Mexico. To put that so it is more understandable, think of the Exxon Valdez. The Exxon Valdez was an awful spill, but it was only 11 million--I underline that, only 11 million--gallons. Already, the disaster in the gulf has been twice that big as far as the amount of oil spilled. Last night's edition of ``60 Minutes'' reported damning evidence that the roots of this tragedy are in British Petroleum executives' efforts to pad their own wallets. Their greed led to 11 horrific and unnecessary deaths. It has harmed an enormous tourism industry, weakened business at countless fisheries, and disrupted life for many along the gulf coast. As the pollution grows worse, those consequences will only compound. It is the responsibility of Congress and the administration to investigate this disaster, and it is the responsibility of British Petroleum and anyone else found culpable to pay the price of those damages. By law, oil companies are liable for only $75 million in damages in instances such as these. This is clearly insufficient. One way Congress can act now is by raising that limit. Some believe it should be raised to $10 billion. Others support no cap at all. I certainly think a $10 billion cap is inadequate.”