[StBernard] eupdate 6 21 10

[Westley Annis]

e-update
6.21.10 

	

It's been two months since the explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon rig
tragically claimed 11 lives and created a massive oil spill in the Gulf of
Mexico, and millions of people in Louisiana and along the Gulf Coast
continue to feel the effects of this ongoing disaster. 

	

The response so far by the Obama administration has been a failure, but I'm
continuing to fight for accountability, answers, and most importantly,
action to save our coast and wetlands.  I recently organized a meeting with
U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to press him to overturn the drilling
moratorium that's threatening to compound the economic damage of the spill,
and I also visited areas in south Louisiana where large numbers of birds,
fish, and other animals have been hurt by the spill.  

	

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

  

FIGHTING TO END THE MORATORIUM 

Thousands of Louisiana residents continue to demand answers about the
drilling moratorium that is hurting our economy and creating uncertainty
about the future of the oil and gas industry in our state.  I'm outraged by
President Obama's decision to shut down drilling, and I recently organized a
meeting
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressRelease
s&ContentRecord_id=42930350-e707-d08c-5726-f0969d6fa13e>  with U.S. Interior
Secretary Ken Salazar and members of Congress from Gulf Coast states to
insist that the administration lift the moratorium as soon as possible.  I
reminded Secretary Salazar that every day the moratorium remains in effect,
the economic damage from the spill is multiplied as more and more
Louisianians lose their jobs.  I also introduced a bill
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressRelease
s&ContentRecord_id=3c889ca4-bbe6-2c1e-ae51-d3c327fb1b22&Region_id=&Issue_id=

>  in the Senate to end the moratorium, and I will continue fighting to

preserve these important Louisiana jobs. 

CARING FOR ANIMALS AFFECTED BY THE SPILL 

It seems as though every day there are new pictures of brown pelicans, sea
turtles, fish, and other animals that have fallen victim to the oil washing
ashore in Louisiana and across the Gulf Coast.  In an effort to address this
ongoing devastation to our natural resources and wildlife, I recently joined
Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, for a
visit to several affected areas.  We also visited a wildlife receiving
center to learn about the efforts underway to save animals that are
threatened by the spill and to find out about the resources needed to
continue this fight.  Click here
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressRelease
s&ContentRecord_id=12da5959-0862-194b-02eb-fdcaf55989d9&Region_id=&Issue_id=

>  to read a letter I sent to the heads of the Coast Guard and the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service asking them to ensure that proper resources are devoted
to helping animals affected by the spill. 

PREVENTING RUNAWAY GOVERNMENT SPENDING 

Even as the oil spill threatens the way of life for millions along the Gulf
Coast, some folks in Washington are trying to use it to advance their own
partisan agendas.  President Obama has made it clear that he's trying to
pass his "cap-and-tax" proposal that would cause energy prices to skyrocket.
And some Congressional leaders are trying to dramatically increase gas taxes
- under the premise of building up the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund -
while using accounting tricks to finance their reckless spending.  This is
unacceptable, and I recently introduced an amendment
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressRelease
s&ContentRecord_id=198eb8fa-d272-b1bc-afe6-3e611751343b>  with several other
senators to prevent these offensive gimmicks in the midst of the disaster
we're facing along the Gulf Coast. 

OPPOSING RADICAL JUDICIAL NOMINEES 

Even as the oil spill continues to command our attention, I'm also keeping
an eye on the radical judicial nominees the Obama administration is pushing
in Washington.  I was deeply disappointed that the Senate Judiciary
Committee recently voted to approve the nomination of Judge Robert Chatigny,
and I will oppose his nomination when it comes to the Senate floor.  He has
an extremely troubling, even bizarre, record as a judge, going so far as to
express sympathy for a sociopathic serial killer.  I hope that's not the
kind of 'empathy' President Obama is looking for in his judicial nominees,
and I will continue to insist on nominees who don't bring their own radical
agendas to the bench.