Hare Statement in Response to President's Oval Office Address on BP Oil Spill

Statement

Congressman Phil Hare (D-IL) tonight released the following statement in response to President Obama's Oval Office address on the BP oil spill.

"The President's address was on the mark. He made clear that BP--not taxpayers--will be on the hook for all recovery costs in the Gulf Coast and an independent third party must process claims. He announced his intention to reform the Minerals Management Service so it regulates oil companies, not coddles them. Finally, he made a commitment to move our nation toward a clean energy future. I pledge to work with him to ensure BP pays its fair share, oil companies face stricter regulation, and we begin invest more in clean, renewable energy."

During a meeting with the Springfield State-Journal Register editorial board on June 3, Hare said that British Petroleum should pay for capping its leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as cleanup and associated costs.

On June 9, Hare signed a letter to BP CEO Tony Hayward calling on him to suspend a quarterly dividend payment to shareholders and the company's television advertising campaign to focus solely on the task at hand of plugging the leak and cleaning up the Gulf Coast.

Hare is the author of the Security in Energy and Manufacturing (SEAM) Act which would extend, improve and provide a $5 billion infusion into the Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit. This credit will be used to build or expand domestic manufacturing facilities that produce wind turbines, solar panels, and other clean energy components.

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