Patrick Leahy

If criminal conduct occurred, it should be and it will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

The Exxon Court believed that predictability for corporations was more important than deterring misconduct. I disagree.

I expressed my concern at that time that the Supreme Court's Exxon Valdez decision would encourage corporate misconduct.

Your proposed Survivors Equality Act of 2010 would remedy that inequity.

Those corporate entities responsible will be held liable for the actions.

The impact on the lives and livelihoods of Americans is enormous.

Our Nation faces an environmental catastrophe. Americans are angry.

It is time we modernized this law again.

We cannot let big oil companies play roulette with our economic and environmental resources.

I appreciate everybody being here. I know this may be an emotional meeting.

Why do you drill deep? That is where the oil is.

You deserve a measure of justice.

Can you tell me any logical reason why it should be any different whether it was on the open sea or on land?

The tide of corporate money that influences politics stops at the hard square corners of the jury box.

That is perverse, and I think Congress should act to avoid this absurd result.

No one's life should become an asterisk in somebody's cost/benefit analysis. It is immoral.

The American people want to know how and why this happened.

It has now been 50 days since BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and oil began gushing into the Gulf of Mexico.

I note that on page 16 of the supplemental appropriations bill, H.R. 4899, under the heading ``Afghanistan Security Forces Fund'' and on page 17 under the heading ``Iraq Security Forces Fund,'' which appropriate funds for training…

I am particularly concerned by the close relationships that have developed between powerful oil interests and Government agencies such as the Minerals Management Service (MMS) at the expense of environmental safety and public well being.

I am encouraged by President Obama's directive to restructure the MMS in order 'to build an organization that acts as the oil industry's watchdog--not its partner.'

It must be a priority to mitigate the impacts of the spill on both the delicate and vital gulf ecosystem, and on coastal communities where fisheries and tourism provide jobs for millions of Americans.

I think the VA could make a very strong statement on their homeless program by moving into a Housing First model.

I have often felt, Madam Chair, that if terrorists could learn how to make it snow, they could cripple Washington for the year.

A response would be nice.