[StBernard] eupdate 5 24 10

[Westley Annis]

e-update
5.24.10 

As our state continues to deal with the devastating effects of the oil spill
off the Gulf Coast, I'm fighting every day to ensure that we have the
resources we need.  I recently introduced a bill to hold BP and other oil
companies responsible for future spills, and I'm continuing to urge the
federal government to expedite efforts to help our fishermen and protect our
coast. 

I've also been keeping my eye on federal regulations that affect
Louisianians, and I sent a letter to the head of the Department of Health
and Human Services urging her to abandon discredited breast cancer
recommendations that affect millions of women in Louisiana. 

Read below to find out how I'm fighting for you on these critical issues. 

 David Vitter

P.S. - Please feel free to forward the newsletter to your friends, neighbors
and business associates, and encourage them to sign up for their own copy by
visiting my Web site at http://vitter.senate.gov/. 

  

CLEANING UP THE OIL SPILL AND HOLDING BP ACCOUNTABLE 

Recently, I introduced a bill
<http://www.vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressRel
eases&ContentRecord_id=929da914-0dac-85cb-f260-772ebe6cd830>  with several
other senators from Gulf Coast states to ensure that oil companies that
cause spills are held fully responsible for cleanup costs.  Our Oil Spill
Response and Assistance Act would raise the liability cap to $150 million or
the sum of the responsible company's profits for the last year, whichever is
greater.  This bill would ensure that not only would companies, rather than
taxpayers, foot the bill for their mistakes, but that smaller oil companies
would be held accountable in proportion to their profits.  You can watch
some of my comments about the bill here
<http://www.vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Multimedia.Video&V
ideo_id=93487e41-09d7-dac1-1001-47a4af3dad84&PageNum=1> . 

BUILDING UP OUR BARRIER ISLANDS 

I share the concerns of many state and local officials about unreasonable
delays by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in approving an emergency plan to
build up our barrier islands to protect our coast from the Gulf Coast oil
spill.  The plan has the full support of local officials, but it has been
subjected to unreasonable bureaucratic delays.  In fact, the Corps claims
that they're waiting on an "environmental review" - even though the delay is
allowing this ongoing environmental disaster to grow worse by the day.  I
sent a letter to President Obama urging him to expedite the approval of this
plan, and you can read it here
<http://www.vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressRel
eases&ContentRecord_id=bbb7cd6c-00c1-83cc-6b60-c05663e719f3&Region_id=&Issue
_id=> . 

PROTECTING OUR VITAL FISHERIES 

As Louisiana recovers from the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill,
it is imperative that we take into account the devastating effects this
disaster is having on commercial fishermen and fisheries infrastructure in
the Gulf of Mexico.  I recently sent a letter
<http://www.vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressRel
eases&ContentRecord_id=97503a62-cb1d-67e0-5ed0-e9e5a8f091f5>  to U.S.
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke urging him to declare a commercial fisheries
disaster so that we can begin the process of delivering financial assistance
to the affected commercial fishing industry in Louisiana.  Our state's
fisheries are the largest fisheries in the region, producing $2.4 billion in
revenues, accounting for 27,000 jobs, and harvesting 70 percent of all the
seafood produced in the Gulf.  We need to do all we can to get Louisiana
fishermen back on the water.  

URGING HHS TO STOP PROMOTING BAD BREAST CANCER RECOMMENDATIONS 

I recently sent a letter
<http://www.vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressRel
eases&ContentRecord_id=8d01e87c-e58b-fd0f-4e27-13dc43d0cc74&Region_id=&Issue
_id=>  to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen
Sebelius about an issue of great concern to many women in Louisiana.  Last
December, I sponsored an amendment the Senate passed to require the federal
government to set aside the ill-conceived United States Preventive Services
Task Force recommendations to reduce the frequency of breast cancer
screenings.  I was dismayed to discover that these recommendations were
still being promoted on a Health and Human Services Department website, in
violation of the law and in spite of the fact that they put women at risk.
The fact that these recommendations are still being presented to the general
public as "current" is only serving to further confuse women on this
critical issue. The recommendations were ill-conceived from the start -
developed via a process without transparency, without input from those with
experience and expertise in the field and without due regard for the
thousands of lives that could be impacted by the recommendation - and that's
why I'm urging Secretary Sebelius to stop promoting them.