Report Labels Obama’s Response to Spill ‘Failure’

Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, released a report today titled, “Failure of Leadership: President Obama and the Flawed Federal Response to the BP Disaster.”

The report concludes that “President Obama and Administration officials failed in several instances to remove regulatory and bureaucratic impediments and to ensure that proper and adequate resources were brought to bear in addressing the BP disaster.”

The report documents various constitutional and legal authorities available to President Barack Obama and federal agencies under his control-authorities that could have enabled them to respond to the BP disaster as expeditiously as possible. Yet, as the Senate report explains, in many important instances, these authorities were either ignored or fitfully exercised.

The report documents specific examples of the President’s failure to demonstrate leadership. They include:

– Assistance: In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, multiple offers of assistance from foreign governments, corporations, and international bodies poured into the State Department. Yet, for weeks, despite the clear need for additional help and resources, the State Department failed to act on them.

– Skimmers: President Obama failed to do everything necessary to deploy available skimming vessels. For example, he refused to issue waivers under the Jones Act, which prevented foreign vessels from working with American counterparts to skim oil from the Gulf.

– Dispersants: EPA’s management of dispersants was unfocused, and its communications about their safety and effectiveness was contradictory–all of which created confusion about their use. Moreover, top officials from the Obama White House contributed to this confusion, as they issued statements about dispersants that, at best, glossed over EPA’s concerns, or, at worst, were deliberately designed to conceal them.

– Workplace Rules: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforced rules and requirements that severely restricted needed legal and operational flexibility in response efforts. OSHA, for example, mandated 20-minute shifts for clean-up workers and required 40-hour training courses for potential supervisors.

Senator Inhofe announced the release of the new Senate Report in a YouTube video (above). Sen. Inhofe states in the video, “Our prayers go out to the families and loved ones of those who lost lives in this tragedy and to everyone who continues to feel its devastating impacts. The federal government had an obligation to respond immediately and get the job done right. Unfortunately, as the Senate report shows, the Obama Administration failed.”

Surprize Quiz [time limit 20 seconds total]

Which is LEAST likely (pick one):
=======================

1. Pres_ _ent Obama was the biggest recipient of BP cash
2. British Petroleum (BP) pumped $71,000 into Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign
3. Pres_ _ent Obama's White House chief is tied to a BP adviser
4. Pres_ _ent Obama's White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is connected to BP
5. Pres_ _ent Obama shrewdly made money in the dispersements.
6. The dispersants contain PCB made by NALCO is based in Chicago with subsidiaries in Brazil, Russia, India, China and Indonesia.
7. BP's Fallen Deepwater Horizon was tapping second largest oil deposit in the world
8. Pres_ _ent Obama exempted BP's Gulf of Mexico drilling from environmental impact study
9. Pres_ _ent Obama did this despite BP's long record of legal, ethical violations
10. Pres_ _ent Obama's Federal Regulator Repeatedly Failed to Inspect Deepwater Horizon
11. Pres_ _ent Obama exempted BP's Gulf drilling from environmental impact study
12. Pres_ _ent Obama sheltered BP's Deepwater Horizon rig from regulatory requirement
13. Pres_ _ent Obama continued this despite that "Red Flags Were Ignored Aboard Doomed Rig
14. Pres_ _ent Obama allowed drilling 'without required permits' (also Drilling Without Needed Permits)
15. In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, despite multiple offers of
assistance from foreign governments, corporations, and international bodies pouring into
the State Department, for weeks, despite the clear need for additional help and resources,
the State Department failed to act on them
16. Pres_ _ent Obama failed to do everything necessary to deploy available skimming vessels. For example,
he refused to issue waivers under the Jones Act, which prevented foreign vessels from
working with American counterparts to skim oil from the Gulf.
17. Under Pres_ _ent Obama, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforced rules and
requirements that severely restricted needed legal and operational flexibility in response
efforts. OSHA, for example, mandated 20-minute shifts for clean-up workers and
required 40-hour training courses for potential supervisors.
18. Pres_ _ent Obama will willingly release his birth certificate, like every other American citizen.

To foreign occupier was too busy with golf and partying at the White House. On purpose or not, you decide.

WAKE UP AMERICA

As to what next: Consider our nation's vast oil reserve resources that are currently unavailable for use due to government ownership of the land or outright bans on drilling in certain areas. I say, 'Drill baby Drill!'

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