Letter to Tony Hayward Chief Executive Officer, BP
Letter
Dear Mr. Hayward,
As BP presides over one of the greatest environmental and economic catastrophes of our time, we find it troubling that your company plans to divert financial resources to shareholder dividends and slick marketing campaigns.
Even as oil threatens to flow into the Gulf of Mexico for months to come, press reports indicate that you hope to distribute $10 billion in dividends to shareholders before the full cost of this devastating oil spill is known. At the same time, your company has launched an aggressive public relations campaign, with full page ads in major newspapers and a reported $50 million television blitz.
We urge you to halt your planned dividend payout and cancel your advertising campaign until you have done the hard work of capping the well, cleaning up the Gulf Coast and making whole those whose very livelihoods are threatened by this catastrophe. Not a moment before then should you return to business as usual.
Sincerely,
Peter Welch, Member of Congress
Ed Markey, Member of Congress
Lois Capps, Member of Congress
John J. Hall, Member of Congress
Steven R. Rothman, Member of Congress
James P. McGovern, Member of Congress
Tim Bishop, Member of Congress
Maurice D. Hinchey, Member of Congress
Raúl M. Grijalva, Member of Congress
Charlie Melancon, Member of Congress
Jim Langevin, Member of Congress
Betty Sutton, Member of Congress
Paul Tonko, Member of Congress
Pete Stark, Member of Congress
Bill Delahunt, Member of Congress
Frank Pallone, Member of Congress
Chris Van Hollen, Member of Congress
Doris Matsui, Member of Congress
Janice Schakowsky, Member of Congress
John A. Yarmuth, Member of Congress
Jared Polis, Member of Congress
Chet Edwards, Member of Congress
Mazie K. Hirono, Member of Congress
John W. Olver, Member of Congress
Steve Israel, Member of Congress
Rush Holt, Member of Congress
Russ Carnahan, Member of Congress
Dennis Cardoza, Member of Congress
Keith Ellison, Member of Congress
Earl Pomeroy, Member of Congress
Louise Mcintosh Slaughter, Member of Congress
Michael H. Michaud, Member of Congress
Steve Cohen, Member of Congress
Bob Filner, Member of Congress
Ron Kind, Member of Congress
Sander M. Levin, Member of Congress
Rosa L. DeLauro, Member of Congress
Ben Ray Luján, Member of Congress
Bill Owens, Member of Congress
Leonard Boswell, Member of Congress
Anna G. Eshoo, Member of Congress
Mike Honda, Member of Congress
George Miller, Member of Congress
Ed Pastor, Member of Congress
Deborah L. Halvorson, Member of Congress
Jim McDermott, Member of Congress
Phil Hare, Member of Congress
Charles A. Wilson, Member of Congress
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