[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 96 (Thursday, June 24, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1210]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 GRANTING SUBPOENA POWER TO COMMISSION INVESTIGATING BP DEEPWATER OIL 
                                 SPILL

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 23, 2010

  Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5481, 
granting Subpoena Power to the Commission Investigating the BP Oil 
Spill. Last month, President Obama established the National Commission 
on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, a panel 
that will be vital to investigating the disaster and assuring this does 
not happen again. However, this Commission does not have subpoena 
power--something critical to ensuring the full disclosure of evidence 
and witnesses.
  In the aftermath of 9/11, I supported similar legislation that gave 
subpoena power to those investigating the terrorist attacks. Now we 
face a different kind of attack from the oil gushing out of the Gulf of 
Mexico. Similar to the work done post 9/11, the clean up workers are 
getting sick from this toxic waste.
  The Commission must have the ability to investigate the shortcuts, 
cost-cutting and lack of oversight by BP and other responsible 
entities. Such unprincipled actions cost the lives of 11 men, injured 
17, and continue to destroy an ecosystem and change a way of life for 
those along the Gulf. In order for the task force to mitigate the risks 
of future oil spills, the Commission must have full understanding of 
what led to the explosion on the Deepwater Oil Rig.
  We need answers to the causes of this ecological man-made disaster. 
We need to be able to prevent this from happening again. The oversight 
inquiries Congress has already conducted into BP, Transocean and 
Halliburton have yielded crucial information. And now, with subpoena 
power, the Commission can conduct its investigation to the fullest.

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