In the Weekly Republican Address, Louisiana Sen. David Vitter discusses the tragic explosion and oil leak at the Deepwater Horizon rig off his state's coast.
Sen. Vitter reminds Americans, "As we continue to work toward a recovery solution, none of us should lose sight that there are families whove lost loved ones. That is the greatest tragedy something everyone in Washington should try a little harder to remember."
He also laments the politics swirling around this disaster: "I guess its typical of the culture in Washington for politicians to believe that they can solve an ongoing crisis with statements and testimonies in Congressional committee rooms. But the time for committee hearings is for after the well has been capped not before. Folks closer to the scene understand that. We want 100 percent of the attention of all parties focused on our two most immediate problems: stopping the gushing oil, and protecting our coastlines and marshes from the oil."
Sen. Vitter says, "Some in Washington have tried to seize on this real human tragedy in the Gulf to advocate for a radical new energy agenda.
That only cheapens the loss of those whove lost loved ones and brushes aside the ongoing, unsolved problem to spring forward with an emotionally-charged political agenda. Thats wrong and, frankly, an example of bankrupt leadership. Both Republicans and Democrats say they want to decrease our foreign dependence on oil, but ending all domestic energy production offshore would only make us that much more dependent."
