LARSON CONDEMNS REPUBLICAN APOLOGY TO BP

Washington, DC – Today, while members of Congress were briefed on the status of our recovery efforts from the oil spill in the Gulf Coast by Admiral Thad Allen, some Republicans were busy defending the company that caused the spill. Joe Barton of Texas, the Ranking Member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, went so far as to apologize to the CEO of BP, saying, “I think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown, in this case a $20 billion shakedown.”

Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01), Chairman of the Democratic Caucus and one of the hosts of today’s briefing with Admiral Allen said, “I don’t know how anyone could side with the CEO of BP over the victims of the Gulf oil spill at a time like this. Are Republicans really more concerned about the quarterly profits and dividends of an oil company than preserving the way of life of millions of Americans? Once again Republicans are showing their true stripes and siding with Big Oil over working Americans. Meanwhile, Democrats are working to ensure that Americans whose lives and livelihoods have been impacted by the spill get the restitution they deserve and that our recovery efforts are swift and thorough.”

Barton is not the first Republican to come down on the side of Big Oil. Michelle Bachman of Minnesota and Tom Price of Georgia also condemned the fund that will provide relief to victims of the oil spill.

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