Paul Tonko: “The difference could not be any clearer. As tar balls continue to roll onto the beaches of the gulf coast States, my…”

“The difference could not be any clearer. As tar balls continue to roll onto the beaches of the gulf coast States, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are apologizing to BP for the government's holding them accountable. While they continue to chant ``drill, baby, drill'' and to put forward ideas that benefit Big Oil, Democrats are moving America in a new direction. I rise today to stand with the families, the small businesses, the communities, and the economy of the gulf coast and our country to say that we can no longer be held hostage by our gluttonous dependence on dirty oil, most of which is imported from our enemies around the world. Instead, we must change our priorities and stand up to special interests by continuing to promote a clean energy economy and to create good-paying American jobs for American families. In fact, 87 percent of Americans support requiring utilities to produce more energy from renewable sources, sources that cannot be outsourced or imported. A clean energy economy will make our country safer, more energy independent and will create jobs. In the meantime, let's be strong and steadfast and hold BP accountable.”