Hoyer Statement on President's Bipartisan Commission to Investigate the Gulf Oil Spill

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) released the following statement today after President Obama announced the appointment of members to a bipartisan commission to investigate the Gulf oil spill. The commission includes Dr. Donald Boesch, the President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science:

"Today, President Obama announced the members of a bipartisan commission appointed to make recommendations on responding to and preventing offshore oil spills, such as the BP spill devastating the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf Coast. The commission's members bring expertise in a range of relevant fields, from oil drilling to engineering to environmental science; they include Dr. Donald Boesch, the distinguished President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. Dr. Boesch, who is a Louisiana native and has extensively studied the environmental effects of offshore energy development, will be a great asset to the commission.

"The appointment of this commission is another step from the Obama Administration to hold the oil industry accountable; to make sure that BP, and not the taxpayers, foots the bill for this disaster; and to ensure that the communities suffering the effects of the BP spill get the help they need. Congress has already acted to ensure that money from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, paid for by the oil companies, quickly reaches the Gulf Coast cleanup; and it looks forward to sending legislation to President Obama that will increase contributions to the Trust Fund, significantly strengthen oversight of offshore drilling, and get emergency aid to the Gulf Coast. The House has also held more than a dozen hearings investigating the spill, which led to the public release of key information, including the spill's true size."

Read the announcement release, which includes Dr. Boesch's bio.

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