[StBernard] eupdate 6 8 10

Westley Annis Westley at da-parish.com
Tue Jun 8 23:43:27 EDT 2010


e-update
6.8.10

Like you, I'm heartsick over the continuing devastation to our coast and our
delicate wetlands as oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill continues to gush
into the Gulf of Mexico. I'm also frustrated by the slow and ineffective
response by the Obama administration, as well as BP's continued efforts to
downplay the true costs of the spill.

That's why I've been fighting to ensure that BP pays every penny of the
costs of cleaning up the Gulf, protecting our wetlands and beaches,
restoring wildlife and fisheries habitats, and reimbursing Gulf Coast
residents whose livelihoods have been devastated by the spill.

After my repeated requests, the administration agreed to hold BP responsible
for the costs of the emergency dredging/barrier island plan. I've also been
pressing cabinet officials to make sure they have a plan for dealing with
potential hurricanes, and I'm urging the president not to implement a
moratorium on offshore drilling, which would only further cripple our
state's economy.

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

David Vitter

PUSHING FOR SAFER OFFSHORE DRILLING

I'm concerned about recent reports that suggest the Obama administration is
planning to shut down all offshore drilling, including even the safe
shallow-water wells off the Louisiana coast. The six-month moratorium on
deep-water wells could potentially cripple Louisiana's economy for years, as
oil producers flee the Gulf for wells in other countries. And while the
administration has not officially announced a moratorium on shallow-water
wells, they've delayed the release of new rules for permit applicants and
effectively shut down the application process. Last week, I called on the
president
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressRelease
s&ContentRecord_id=ffb7ab34-979f-8573-c097-491e35a27366> to speed up the
release of these new regulations and to approve stringent safety inspections
in place of a complete moratorium on drilling. I'll keep fighting for safer
drilling because Louisiana's economy simply can't afford to lose the jobs
provided by our oil and gas industry.

FUNDING THE BARRIER ISLAND PLAN

Last week, we saw significant progress in our efforts to require BP to fund
Louisiana's emergency dredging/barrier island plan. After I called on BP
CEO Tony Hayward
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressRelease
s&ContentRecord_id=fa4b4ab1-9d1d-c66e-d95a-9869e209777f> to fully fund the
costs of implementing the plan, the federal government announced that it
will require BP to fund expanded efforts to protect our coast. The next
step is to continue pushing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide the
necessary dredging equipment so this long-overdue process can move forward.

PREPARING FOR HURRICANE SEASON

June 1 marked the beginning of hurricane season. This is always an anxious
time for Louisiana families, but it's even more so this year because of the
potentially catastrophic effects a hurricane could have on the efforts to
clean up the oil spill off our coast. And just as Louisiana families
develop plans to prepare for storms each year, I'm pushing federal agencies
to do the same so they can be fully prepared for every scenario. I sent a
letter
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressRelease
s&ContentRecord_id=f44fc79b-0289-5222-ae43-f74936d90002&Region_id=&Issue_id=

> last week to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate requesting an update on the steps DHS and
FEMA are taking to address the effects of potential hurricanes on the spill.


EXAMINING THE KAGAN NOMINATION

Back in Washington, preparations continue for the hearings for Solicitor
General Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court. I'm certainly very
concerned about some of the things we've learned about Ms. Kagan's liberal
record so far, and I'm carefully reviewing her public statements and the
causes she's advanced in her career. I believe judges should make decisions
based on the Constitution as it was written by the founders - not legislate
from the bench according to their own agendas - and I will vote on Ms.
Kagan's nomination according to that standard.





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