Florida GOP Reps. Rooney and Buchanan Drill for Reform

U.S. Reps. Vern Buchanan and Tom Rooney, both R-Fla., want to eliminate financial-liability caps on oil companies responsible for offshore spills.

By eliminating the cap on financial liability for oil companies responsible for spills, this bill requires companies like BP to pay the full cost of offshore oil spills," said Rooney, R-Tequesta.

"Taxpayers should not pay one dime of the costs associated with the Deep Horizon spill.BP must bear the full costs of stopping the leak, cleaning up the spill and compensating the victims.

Additionally, the Oil Spill Prevention Act, HR 5572, would:

• prevent conflicts of interest at the Minerals Management Service by separating the office responsible for safety and environmental protection from the leasing office, which collects revenues;
• require random drug testing of MMS employees;
• close the revolving door between MMS and oil companies by requiring employees to wait at least two years before working for an oil company;
• strengthen oversight by mandating that missed inspections be rescheduled and eliminating categorical exemptions from environmental requirements.