Sensenbrenner Urges President to Balance BP Commission
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Category: Government CommitteesType: News
Source: U.S. House Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
Party: Republican
Date: Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
Washington, D.C. -Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., ranking Republican on the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, in a letter today urged President Obama to reconsider the make-up of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in order to produce an objective assessment of the current crisis in the Gulf of Mexico.
"Your Executive Order establishing the Commission states members are to be selected from 'distinguished individuals, and may include those with experience in or representing the scientific, engineering, and environmental communities, the oil and gas industry, or any other area determined by the President to be of value to the Commission in carrying out its duties,'" Sensenbrenner said in the letter.
"In reality, you stacked the Commission with 'yes-men' who favor a moratorium on off-shore drilling," Sensenbrenner said.
While commending the President for establishing the BP Commission, Sensenbrenner questioned the views of the members, noting that they have either publicly argued against off-shore oil drilling or have ties to organizations that oppose it. "Presidential commissions can be effective when they are made up of members who have expertise in the subject under investigation and approach their mission in an objective manner," Sensenbrenner said. "The BP Commission lacks any of these characteristics. Taxpayers are being asked to fund a political rubber stamp."
"I strongly urge you to modify the BP Commission by either replacing some of the members, or adding new ones to bring a balanced perspective to its mission. This would elevate the status of the BP Commission by giving it credibility, which, combined with the subpoena power Congress just authorized, would allow it to do its job more effectively," Sensenbrenner concluded.
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