Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, released a report today titled, “Failure of Leadership: President Obama and the Flawed Federal Response to the BP Disaster.” The report concludes that “President Obama and Administration officials failed in several instances to remove regulatory and bureaucratic impediments and to ensure that proper and adequate resources were brought to bear in addressing the BP disaster.”
The report documents various constitutional and legal authorities available to President Barack Obama and federal agencies under his control-authorities that could have enabled them to respond to the BP disaster as expeditiously as possible. Yet, as the Senate report explains, in many important instances, these authorities were either ignored or fitfully exercised.
The report documents specific examples of the President’s failure to demonstrate leadership. They include:
– Assistance: In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, multiple offers of assistance from foreign governments, corporations, and international bodies poured into the State Department. Yet, for weeks, despite the clear need for additional help and resources, the State Department failed to act on them.
– Skimmers: President Obama failed to do everything necessary to deploy available skimming vessels. For example, he refused to issue waivers under the Jones Act, which prevented foreign vessels from working with American counterparts to skim oil from the Gulf.
– Dispersants: EPA’s management of dispersants was unfocused, and its communications about their safety and effectiveness was contradictory–all of which created confusion about their use. Moreover, top officials from the Obama White House contributed to this confusion, as they issued statements about dispersants that, at best, glossed over EPA’s concerns, or, at worst, were deliberately designed to conceal them.
– Workplace Rules: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforced rules and requirements that severely restricted needed legal and operational flexibility in response efforts. OSHA, for example, mandated 20-minute shifts for clean-up workers and required 40-hour training courses for potential supervisors.
Senator Inhofe announced the release of the new Senate Report in a YouTube video (above). Sen. Inhofe states in the video, “Our prayers go out to the families and loved ones of those who lost lives in this tragedy and to everyone who continues to feel its devastating impacts. The federal government had an obligation to respond immediately and get the job done right. Unfortunately, as the Senate report shows, the Obama Administration failed.”
