Patrick Leahy actually said...

They are liable for the damages up to the extent of their very financial existence, and they are not too big to fail.

BP is the one that under the law and under the procedures of our drilling is the responsible party.

If you thought, Boy, you are really going to have to pay for any screw-up you cause, are you going to be a lot more careful?

I insist that, in the future, oil companies do everything they can to prevent needless deaths and catastrophic environmental harm.