Politics

Republican Leader Calls for Taxpayer-Funded Bailout for BP?

By Office of the Speaker

As news was breaking that the Obama Administration got BP to agree to expedite claim payments to American families and small businesses that have been devastated by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, House Republican Leader John Boehner sided with the Chamber of Commerce and declared that American taxpayers should bailout the Big Oil giant. TPM:

“I think the people responsible in the oil spill–BP and the federal government–should take full responsibility for what’s happening there,” Boehner said at his weekly press conference this morning.

Boehner’s statement followed comments last Friday by US Chamber of Commerce CEO Tom Donohue who said he opposes efforts to stick BP, a member of the Chamber, with the bill. “It is generally not the practice of this country to change the laws after the game,” he said. “Everybody is going to contribute to this clean up. We are all going to have to do it. We are going to have to get the money from the government and from the companies and we will figure out a way to do that.”

House Democrats are siding with American taxpayers. BP should be held accountable. To that end, House Committees are holding oversight and legislative hearings in response to the oil spill ? just yesterday, we held three.

But Mr. Boehner thinks Congress shouldn?t be holding hearings on the oil spill either.

Really?

Full post as published by The Gavel on June 10, 2010 (boomark / email).