Rep. Fattah Commends Obama for Bold Leadership and 'a Shakeup, Not a Shakedown' on Environmental Disaster Policy

WASHINGTON, June 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressman Chaka Fattah, chairman of the Congressional Urban Caucus and Pennsylvania's senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, issues the following statement on developments in the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico:

"President Obama has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in his dealings with BP on the Gulf oil spill. By summoning BP executives to the White House, winning BP's pledge for a $20 billion recovery fund as well as an apology and assumption of responsibility, the President has moved the nation dramatically forward toward long-term resolution of this crisis.

"Previous environmental disasters such as the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska and Union Carbide's Bhopal gas poisoning in India have taken years, even decades to resolve as perpetrators battled shamelessly to avoid responsibility and financial obligations. The President has exhibited strong persuasive powers with BP – even as the nation continues with the capping and cleanup and with this Administration's commitment to change the direction of our energy-dependency policies.

"Partisan critics of these bold moves from the White House are foolishly shortsighted, and they owe their apology to the American people – not to BP. The President has accomplished a shakeup – not a shakedown -- of same-old, same-old inaction for dealing with environmental catastrophes."

SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah

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