[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 57 (Monday, April 20, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S2262]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE DEEPWATER HORIZON TRAGEDY

  Mr. VITTER. Madam President, I rise today to solemnly observe the 5-
year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oilspill, also known as the 
BP disaster. It was a major and deeply tragic incident that resulted in 
the loss of 11 lives in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond that really 
devastated the gulf region.
  I wish to start where we should always start--by remembering in a 
solemn and prayerful way the 11 men who lost their lives in the 
incident. They were Donald ``Duck'' Clark, 49, of Newellton, LA; 
Stephen Ray Curtis, 40, of Georgetown, LA; Gordon Jones, 28, of Baton 
Rouge, LA; Roy Wyatt Kemp, 27, of Jonesville, LA; Keith Blair Manuel, 
56, of Gonzalez, LA; Jason Anderson, 35, of Midfield, TX; Adam Weise, 
24, of Yorktown, TX; Aaron Dale Durkeen, 37, of Philadelphia, MS; Karl 
Kleppinger, Jr., 38, of Natchez, MS; Dewey Revette, 48, of State Line, 
MS; and Shane Roshto, 22, of Liberty, MS. We lift up those men and 
their families in our prayers, and we will continue to keep those men 
whose lives were lost and continue to keep their families in our 
fervent thoughts and prayers.
  While 5 years have passed, the effects of the Deepwater Horizon 
tragedy are still felt today in communities all along the gulf coast. 
The terrible and unnecessary loss of life, the harming of our precious 
coastal ecosystems, and the persisting economic burdens serve as a 
constant reminder of the failures that led to the spill, as well as the 
lessons learned in the 5 years since.
  Poor industry and government oversight and the failure by many 
involved to enforce safety regulations were largely responsible for 
multiple mistakes leading up to the tragedy. As a result, we have 
learned many lessons on how to prevent future accidents such as this. 
The first is that the lives and safety of the men and women who work in 
this field are absolutely paramount and need to be kept so, and the 
Federal and State safety standards overseeing them should reflect that 
as a priority.
  Changes are needed, and the Federal agencies that oversee and 
regulate the offshore energy industry must communicate clearly with 
State and local governments and impacted industries. They must also do 
a better job of enforcing strong, necessary safety and environmental 
standards.
  It is also important that we prevent the administration or any future 
administration from having knee-jerk reactions to incidents such as 
this. Each gulf coast community remembers the devastating effects of 
the offshore drilling moratorium that followed the disaster--something 
that was completely unnecessary, including in the opinion of so many 
experts. Once the Obama administration imposed this unnecessary 
drilling moratorium, that decision had crippling results for Louisiana 
and Gulf State economies. When accidents such as this spill happen, 
there needs to be a calculated, logical, and immediate response in 
order to replace ineffective regulations with rules that focus on 
preserving lives and protecting the environment. It is imperative that 
we prevent shortsighted Federal mandates and thoughtless regulations 
that hinder regional recovery and destroy local economies instead.
  We also learned that there needs to be a clear and specific judicial 
penalty process in place in order to ensure that claims can be 
efficiently filed and finalized in order to let those who are affected 
by such disasters return to some sense of normalcy, day-to-day 
normalcy, and economic normalcy as quickly as possible. This should 
include insuring responsible parties such as BP are timely in paying 
their judicially and statutorily mandated fines and penalties. There is 
absolutely no excuse that 5 years later gulf residents, in many cases, 
are still waiting for the responsible parties to fulfill their legal 
obligations, including under the RESTORE Act.
  As we remember the Deepwater Horizon tragedy today, let us renew our 
commitment to work on all of these matters and to finish the work that 
is left to do as our gulf coastlines and economies continue to recover.
  Thank you, Madam President.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.
  Mr. CASSIDY. Madam President, 5 years ago today, 11 Americans were 
lost when the Deepwater Horizon exploded off the gulf coast. I would 
like to name them. This is hard. These were the people we grew up with. 
I apologize for being emotional, but these are our neighbors, and so to 
remember them--Jason Anderson 35, Midfield, TX. Jason had two kids, and 
his wife Shelley said that Thanksgiving was his favorite holiday.
  Aaron Dale ``Bubba'' Burkeen, 37, of Philadelphia, MS. He passed on 
his wedding anniversary and 4 days before his birthday. He was married 
with two children.
  Donald Clark, 49, of Newellton, LA. Husband to Sheila with four kids. 
He was a fisherman. To honor him on the anniversary of his death, his 
family says a prayer and releases balloons over a lake in his favorite 
color, which is sky blue.
  Stephen Ray Curtis, 40, of Georgetown, LA. Stephen was married and 
the father of two teenagers.
  Gordon Jones of Baton Rouge, LA. Gordon was 28. His wife was 
Michelle. His son Max was born 3 weeks after Gordon passed. An oak tree 
was planted on the LSU campus on the path where he ran.
  Roy Wyatt Kemp, 27, of Jonesville, LA. He was married to Courtney and 
father of one child.
  Karl Kleppinger, Jr., 38, of Natchez, MS. He was a veteran of the 
first gulf war and the father of one.
  Keith Blair Manuel, 56, of Gonzales, LA. Keith had three daughters, 
was a big fan of LSU sports, and had football and basketball season 
tickets.
  Dewey A. Revette, 48, of State Line, MS. His wife was Sherri. They 
had been married for 26 years.
  Shane M. Roshto, 22, of Liberty, MS. He was the youngest of the men 
who died. His wife was Natalie, and his son is Blaine.
  Adam Weise, 24, of Yorktown, TX. Adam drove 10 hours to Louisiana 
every 3 weeks to work on the rig. He was a high school football star 
and spent his off time hunting and fishing.
  We pray that the families find peace in the memories of their sons, 
husbands, and fathers.
  The spill was the worst in our Nations's history, and while the 
consequences of this spill are still seen, it is our task to live 
forward and, in so doing, honor the memory of these men and provide a 
better future for their families.
  Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that there be a moment of 
silence to honor their memory.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (Moment of silence.)
  Mr. CASSIDY. Thank you, Madam President.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. NELSON. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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