And I am not the only one, though. Senator LeMieux of Florida has this to say about Obama's not using all resources at his disposal (h/t to Bronwyn's Harbor for the video):
Why in the hell is Obama not using these skimmers?? Why were they not pressed into duty immediately following the oil spill? What the hell is wrong with him, claiming he was going to let them sit idle, just in case they were needed somewhere. They ARE needed somewhere - the GULF!!!!!
And still - just about 10 weeks into this disaster, Obama has STILL not lifted the Jones Act to allow more ships in from other countries to help. Senators from the Gulf Coast area are tired of waiting for Obama to actually do his job, and are introducing a bill to allow foreign ships to come in and help with this devastating spill:
Three Republican senators from states on the Gulf of Mexico have introduced a bill they say will make it easier for the United States to accept foreign ships to help the BP oil spill clean-up effort.
Florida Senator George LeMieux, along with Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn of Texas have drafted a bill that would temporarily suspend the Jones Act in the Gulf region, which they say is keeping foreign ships from offering aid. The 90-year-old law, which already includes a provision that allows waivers for foreign ships on a case-by-case basis, mandates that vessels may only partake in coastwise transport between U.S. ports if they are “constructed in the United States, owned by United States citizens and crewed by United States citizens and/or permanent residents.” The bill’s sponsors say that given the emergency situation, the provisions currently in place do not go far enough.
“With still only 20 skimmers off the coast of Florida, we need to expedite additional assistance,” LeMieux said. “Any vessels ready to help should be allowed into the Gulf.”
No freakin' kidding - and they should have been allowed in IMMEDIATELY following this spill. Here we are 2 1/2 months into this mess, and STILL, Obama is dragging his feet. Not so with his predecessor:
Former President Bush temporarily suspended the law in the wake of hurricane disasters in 2005. According to Keith Hennessy, who served as Bush’s deputy at the White House National Economic Council at the time, the waiver’s actual impact was “small and diffuse … [but] every little bit helped.” The senators say they are taking action because President Obama has not issued an executive order to waive the protectionist law.
“The administration has failed to issue a waiver on the Jones Act, which is blockading foreign vessels from working with their American counterparts to remove the oil from the waters of the Gulf,” said Hutchison. “The federal response to this spill has been unacceptable, and we cannot wait around until the disaster gets worse.”
Despite reports that some foreign aid has been turned away, a June 15 letter from U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen to Florida Democratic Senator Bill Nelson explained that all international offers that meet a “validated operational need” have been accepted, including skimmers from Mexico. Nelson’s office concluded that there is no need for any legislation for a blanket waiver.
“In no case has the [Federal On Scene Coordinator] or [Unified Area Command] declined to request assistance or accept offers of assistance of foreign vessels that meet an operational need because the Jones Act was implicated,” Allen wrote. “To date, no Jones Act waivers have been necessary because foreign flagged vessels involved in the BP Deepwater Horizon response have not been engaged in activities that would require such a waiver.”
Well, gosh - how to explain the ships that have been turned away? It would seem a waiver was in order:
Supporters of a blanket waiver say the current process involves more red tape than necessary.
“This bill will provide for a streamlined waiver process for any foreign vessel willing and able to help mitigate the impacts of the spill,” said LeMieux. “We can no longer wait for the Administration to work through its bureaucracy.”
A spokesman for the maritime industry said that the so-called barriers to getting foreign ships into the Gulf are much lower than reported.
“The waiver itself is not cumbersome at all,” said Mark Ruge of the Maritime Cabotage Task Force, adding that ships that operate beyond three miles of shore do not even need a Jones Act waiver.
Still, Hutchison said in a radio interview Monday that there was no reason why the U.S. should not be as open as possible to foreign aid.
“It’s just nonsense to not have every hand on deck,” she said.
I agree - it is nonsense. There is simply no excuse - NONE - for not doing everything humanly possible to get this spill cleaned up. All Obama is doing, especially with his cavalier attitude ("Fore!) is to highlight his incompetence.
Might be spills elsewhere while the Gulf is swimming in oil? Oh, brother. For what the hell is he waiting already??
1 comment:
Let's face it, there's no one at the helm of our government. They're all out playing sports or campaigning...it's ridiculous and just plain wrong. :-(
And if Obama is such a great dad, why did he spend Father's Day playing golf with his buddies instead of doing something with his kids? On Father's Day,when my kids were young, my husband always did something special that day with them...swimming, going to the zoo, a ballgame, or something. He never went off on his own for "down time".
Honestly, Obama is the most incompetent man when it comes to his job and family. Or maybe I should just say "self-centered".
word verification: spenon
The government is spenon all our money to pay for Obama's golf games.
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