Sen. LeMieux: United States Government Doesn't Return the Phone Call

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~Offers of Oil Disaster Assistance Remain in Limbo~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32s7JkXora8

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator George LeMieux (R-FL) today called for the Obama Administration to take advantage of a greater number of offers of assistance in response to the Gulf oil spill disaster. During a speech on the floor of the United States Senate, LeMieux noted of the 56 offers of assistance from foreign countries and international groups, 46 remain “under consideration” according to a chart compiled by the U.S. State Department dated June 18, 2010. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection puts the number of oil skimming vessels off the coast of Florida at 20 as of June 21, 2010.

“There is no logical reason why the Administration is refusing offers of help from foreign skimmer vessels,” LeMieux said. “A Dutch skimmer that has the capacity to take 20,000 tons of oil out of the Gulf of Mexico was offered 48 days ago. This offer, which is still ‘under consideration’ by the Administration, is no longer a viable option because the skimmer has now been deployed for other uses. There is absolutely no sense of urgency by the Administration to get this disaster under control and the people of the Gulf States continue to dread the day the oil reaches their beaches, if it hasn’t already.”

BACKGROUND: On June 21st, Senator LeMieux sent a letter to National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen requesting a regular and public update on the number of skimmer vessels participating in the Gulf oil spill response effort. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection reports there are only 20 oil skimming vessels currently operating off the coast of Florida. On June 18, Senator LeMieux, along with Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Richard Burr (R-NC), sent a letter to President Obama requesting clarification on the status of foreign vessels taking part in Gulf oil spill clean up efforts. In the letter, the senators address the confusion surrounding the Jones Act waiver requirement. On June 14, Senator LeMieux with Congressman Jeff Miller (R-Chumuckla) formally requested the president waive the Jones Act so as to allow international skimmers to assist in the cleanup of the Gulf. The Jones Act provides a federal framework for maritime labor relations and contains provisions requiring ships working in U.S. waters to be U.S. built, owned and operated. Jones Act waivers are administrative decisions that allow the use of vessels and shipping situations that wouldn't normally be legal under the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. One recent example of a waiver of the act occurred in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. A copy of the letter is available on Senator LeMieux's website at http://lemieux.senate.gov/public/?p=NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=746c707a-8665-4a91-9826-ac7879ab882a

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