Fisher: Congress Should Force BP to Pay for its Own Mess

Press Release

Following President Obama's address to the American people regarding his plan to hold British Petroleum accountable for the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. Senate candidate Lee Fisher reiterated his call for U.S. Congress to take immediate steps to hold BP fully financially responsible for the impact on families and the environment across the Gulf.

While experts estimate that the clean up efforts will cost billions, current federal law caps BP's liability at only $75 million.

To date, Congressman Rob Portman, who spent 20 years in Washington and has taken more than $125,000 from Big Oil for his Senate campaign, has remained silent on the BP spill, the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. Congressman Portman launched his career in Washington as a lobbyist before serving as the architect of President Bush's failed trade and economic policies.

Fisher said, "Washington is broken -- allowing big oil companies to skirt responsibility while the middle class takes it on the chin. That's wrong, and Congressman Portman's silence is wrong. BP should be held fully responsible. Period."

Fisher has called for raising the BP's financial liability cap to $10 billion. He believes Congress should pass legislation to hold oil companies accountable and close a number of loopholes that enable them to avoid paying billions of dollars in taxes.

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