the unfortunate part about this mr. chairman is that we have been here before. i remember more than 40 years ago when union oil platform exploded off the coast of my home state. i concern is that today could be like 1959 all over again. and that we're setting ourselves up for another four decades of more of the same. the question i have today is -- what has changed? what can the oil companies tell us today to assure us that this story is not simply repeating itself? what the american people do not want now are the same excuses that were employed decades ago about well-being our largest and in fact, the bp oil spill underscores the need to look beyond oil production and consumption and investing cleaner alternatives that will create jobs and save our environment from harm.

if we learn anything from this disaster, it is that we must continue to explore clean alternatives to big oil. today's hearing is a step in that direction. thank you, mr. chairman. i yield ack the balance of my time. >> the chair to recognize the gentle lady from california. >> i thank you for yielding at this time and i welcome the opportunity here from the witnesses today. this is our energy security and the ongoing spills. the companies represented at the table are at the forefront of energy research and development and growth. their insides are important to ensure that this does not happen again. as we just heard from my other colleague, many of us in california still recall the oil spill in 1959. to get a sense of what we're facing, the and ministration says yesterday were right -- or saying that it could be spelling

four that time -- four that oil every day. american lives have been tragically lost and we have yet to fully understand the informal and economic impact. have priority today and for the day said ahead are to completely stop the leak. i hope our witnesses are willing to tell for in his dissent they have to make sure that that is our focus. i am fairly certain that that is what the american people want. nearly two months have passed since the original explosion. what have we seen in the interim? a number of questions that still deserve answers, slow crucial decision making, and others. how want to learn about the technologies that these companiee have invested in to we ought o be devoting our resources to this disaster.

has the santa barbara still haunt us decade laaer, it is important to know how this crisis is manager mismanage. we do not know the consequences from the spill, but this will of long-lasting in national implications. i yield back my time. >> i think the gentle lady. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i want to welcome the panel here this morning. the explosion of the deepwater horizon and the resulting "gushed is a tragedy of terrible human consequences. our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and hard-working americans whose livelihoods and way of life are threatened. americans are shocked and saddened by what occurred but they are outraged because there is no real plln to respond to

crisis of this magnitude. the technology that was supposed to be failsafe failed badly. how could some -- how could companies ibp have invested so many millions of dollars in deepwater technology and failed to develop the technology to prevent this? i want to know today what steps the industry is taking to ensure that the technologies designed to be failed state -- failsafe work as promised, and what would allow for a far more effective response to the disaster. however, the real solution is to deliver live reduce our consumption of petroleum fuel. i believe that this can be done in a way that improves our national economy and i want to know what the executives sitting here in front of me today are going to do to achieve this

goal. thank you, mr. chairman. >> the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida. >> thank you, mr. chairman. and thank you for having this hearing together with the ranking member upton. the title of the hearing is drilling down on america's energy future, safety, security, and clean energy. i am not sure that the title is appropriate as well as listening to some of these opening statements. the bottom line is that all of us are frustrated in congress as well as the gulf coast residents. we do not understand wwy bp did not act more quickly. i asked ceo lamar mckay, how many barrels are coming out, and he said 5000. then i read to him from his own reports that he can handle up to 300,000 barrels a day 10 miles offshore. the question is, why can you handle 5000? obviously that number was not

correct. we now have an oil spill that is seven times the exxon valdez, and yet there is no end in sight at this point. the purpose of this hearing is to ask these executives, the people taking the top salaries innthe world, and to get to their spot they have unusual acumen, foresight, energy, business awareness, and obviously have a lot of corporate political savvy to get where they are. they would not get here -- they would not be here otherwise. how can you say to us that america is protected with all the oil rigs that you have? we have almost 3800 in the gulf. can you tell us that america will be safe in that you have backup worst-case scenarios? he did not even tell us the right 5,000 barrels a days. obviously it was not bad. we need to hear from you under

oath that you can in the worst- case scenario protect american shores. >> the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. >> thank you, mr. chairman for holding the hearing, and i want to welcome our panelists today. the states along the gulf coast are dealing with this tragedy and my thoughts and prayers go out to the families and communities affected by this accident. those of us to represent energy- producing areas, it is like a loss and the family. while we wait to see a positive efforts on containing this bill, we began the process offfairly evaluating the answers to many questions on what we're wrong and how the whole responsible parties accountable. as we approach this legislation, it's important to allow for thoughtful deliberation for making permanent statutory changes that would end up taking us further

from our goal of safe, responsible development of our natural resources. quickly moving forward with legislative proposals would have a profound effect and possibly negative consequences for american production potential. it is not a path that congress should take to rush just to be doing something. while i understand that there is public wariness to deepwater production, i want to know that they're still a majority of american people who support our common and a shelf drilling. i encourage the administration to quickly implement and develop procedural standards for deepwater drilling and shallow water, because of a loss of jobs and domestic production we would see if this full six month moratorium if it continues. that is a lasting an hour recovering economy needs. -- that is the last thing our recovering economy needs. i look forward to hearing what

our panel plans to do to restore america's public trust in the oil and gas industry. there is a great record in the gulf of mexxco. the last time i can remember was a well in the gulf of mexico in 1979. we have a good record. we need to find out why it did not work and why almost everything went wrong with this and why it is working and lots of other wells beinn drilled. our country needs a strong, steady domestic supply of oil and natural gas. as we transition, we must not forget that as we legislate in response to the accident, i look forward to the testimony. >> the chair recognizes the gentleman from missouri. jayden thank you, mr. chairman. thaak you for holding this hearing. i have a prepared statement that i will put in the record. let me summarize that a little bit.

i am glad to have the hot individuals here who was mr. barton said have so much at stake and has so much potential to be part of the solution. i hope we can use this hearing to understand why our government and british petroleum could possibly have been so poorly prepared for this disaster. certainly the people in the fishing industry and tourism industry want answers to this problem and thhre's plenty of blame to go around. i don't think the administration or the government ageecy has done everything that they have -- that they can to be prepared. incredibly, seven weeks after that deepwater horizon explosion, we're still lacking resources for containment. the booms, the skimmers, the things they should have been readily available, they're still not apparently there in the ways that we need them to go. weeks ago i introduced legislation that would require ready access to the things

necessary to contain the problem if a problem developed in the gulf. we're learning more and more every day about the failings of both the industry and the government, and the regulators leading up to the incident. however remained focused today and the next few weeks knees to be to stop and do what we can to stop this problem, and then to study the problem and see if it does not occur again. i am convinced that we can protect the car and firemen and our economy as we continue in our pursuit of for independence from foreign oil. congress and the administration should work to ensure that we can reduce domestic oil and gas in an environmentally sound manner. i am afraid that the moratorium announced against the wishes of secretary salazar on technical advisers will cost thousands of jobs and ultimately harm consumers. it is obviously that we need to hear from the panelists today.

i am grateful they are here. it is obvious that members of this committee want to speak and are speaking and and are concerned that this not happen again. and it would be better prepared to take advantage of our victim of our resources. and i yield back. >> the chair recognizes the journal lady from california. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i look for to the testimony of our witnesses today. this bill in the gulf as an environmental disaster that has already created and still threatens him in an economic harm. we want to do everything possible to clean up the damage from this incident and feature -- and prevent future ones like it. we need to hear from bp how the spill occurred and how it is going to make the people of the golf hole. and more broadly, we need to hear from the oil companies in general about how they're going to prevent this in the future. unfortunately we cannot stop drilling overnight. and these companies have the

responsibility to do everything in their power to prevent these tragedies. having seen i 1969 oil spill first hand, i can tell you that spill response technology has hardly advanced in the past 40 years. finally, we need to hear from each witness and their company whether or not they're going to play a constructive role in transition in our economy away from drilling on to clean energy resources. the energy -- the record today is not impressive. phey need to transition for the sake of an astrakhans -- security, our economy, and the environment. this could not be more apparent than it is today. passing comprehensive energy and climate legislation is just what american he should do to help grow our economy and create jobs. taxpayers do not need status quo energy policy that spans of billions of dollars overseas to hostile governments. we need a safer and more economical approach to energy

development, one that takes away from oil eventually and poured renewable sources they cannot destroy our coastline. every day we delay, our economy grows weaker, our enemies grew stronger, and the planet becomes more polluted. it s time for real solutions that protect rather than endanger our communities, our livelihoods, and our way of life. i hope we announce bipartisan legislation this year. i place to work with you to achieve this very important goal and i yield back. >> the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania. >> thank you, mr. chairman. thank you for holding this hearing on ameriia's energy future. the bp oil spill is a tragic event in the history of our country. not only have lives been lost, but an unknown amount of oil has been leaked into the ocean, causing horrible effects, some of which we know now, some of which will take years to discover.

first and foremost, the leakage of oil must be stopped. i think we all know this but it bears repeating and i hope our witnesses will tell us what they think must be done to stop the leak. once this is done, it is imperative that we thoroughly understand what happened aboard deepwater horizon before, during, and after the explosion. we must know what caused this terrific event so that it never happens again. in the wake of this event, questions have not only arisen regarding the cause of the explosion and the leak, but also regarding the appropriateness of response from bp and the administration. i find it unfathomable that the president is just now meeting with top bp executives. in addition, it seems to me that the entire federal response has been not only disjointed, but confusing and frustrating for those on the ground trying to bring relief. the moratorium announced last

week is another example of poor judgment without regard to the economic livelihood of the gulf coast region. millions of americans to buy gas every day for their vehicles. as i said, this is a tragic event. we need to make sureeto diligences done in investigating the causes and the appropriateness of responses in the aftermath. we need to make sure that the response of this body and the administration is prudent, one that still encourages our company -- our country's energy security and independence. p yield back. >> the chair recognizes the3 >> thank you, mr. chairman, and welcome to our witnesses. i have long argued that we must move away from dependence on foreign oil. we know the national security pitfalls of that dependence. we see it played out every single day in what is going on in the middle east. but we also now clearly see that

there are environmental and economic pitfalls with our ongoing dependence on domestic oil. many of the californians on this panel include meat staunchly oppose offshore drilling in california. and i want to thank our president for making clear that that will not happen. but it is also clear, has our witnesses know, that california has an addiction to one driver per car, and that therefore there are many refiners located throughout the state, four or five located in my district alone. one is named for the second chevron refinery in the state. you're all looking at us say, if you're not fixing the problem, why you blaming it on us? i want to point out the obvious to other members. all the companies beforeeus in

2009 profits of more than $64 billion. he paid $37 billion in dividends to your shareholders. yoo invested more than $9.5 billion in exploration. but you invested far less in renewable and alternative energy. you are energy companies. my urging would be -- why not invest in energy products and energy technologies that are far safer, that will win us -- we've us from our dependence on oil, that will bring you profits for your shareholders, aad make america safer? and our constituents are very smart. one of them approached me in san pedro, california yesterday and said why don't we require energy companies drilling to drill a original well.ongside their if it was drilled at the same time, it would be there. >> we thank the gentle lady. the chair recognizes the+ gentleman from louisiana.

>> thank you, mr. chairman. i spent last iiland on -- i spent last weekend of grand isle, with people saying that they are spending more time fighting bp in the government and they are fighting evil. that is unacceptable. first and foremost, our focus needs to be on plugging the well and using every resource available to protect our fragile seafood beds from being further inundated by the oil. bp is the responsible party and needs to be held accountable, and i intend to do everything to make sure that bp pays for the full cost of this disaster. but we need a clearer chain of command that holds people accountable. the will pollution act states that the president shall ensure effective and immediate remmval of the discharge. on numerous occasions, the president has said that from day one, he has been on the ground and in charge. but where was he when state and

local officials waited for nearly a month for approval on a plan to construct sand berms to protect our valuable marsh and prevent at least a dozen pelicans from dying? our fishermen constantly have to seek bp's approval to clean up our beaches. the delay of the sand berms plan is tough prime example of the a administration response to this problem. millions of barrels of oil and they are women, devastating louisiana fisheries. quick action could have limited the scope of this disaster for the present responded by making excuses and shifting blame. i and people throughout louisiana have had enough and are sick and tired of excuses that we continue to be given by the president and bp. instead of leading let the commander in chief, he continues that like a spectator in the stands. to an insult to injury, he has imposed a six-month ban on deepwater drilling. this is like taking it jack, --

taking a jackhammer to the louisiana economy. this will name -- eliminate 40,000 jobs. we must figure out what went on to prevent this type of the disaster from happening in the future. the president is now exporting our disaster as a political opportunity to promote his radical agenda to kill more american jobs. unfortunately we do not have leadership and the louisiana people and wildlife are paying the price. >> that gentleman tyrant -- the gentleman's time has expired. the chair recognizes the gentle lady from wisconsin. >> thank you, mr. chairman. thank you for holding this hearing today and calling this panel of witnesses before us. the catastrophe in the gulf have shed new light on the operations of the oil industry. the safety and security measures that they have in place, the disaster plans that they maintain, and their efforts to move us away from our dependence upon oil and toward developing and promoting the use of

renewable energy sources. as has been noted, the companies represented before us today have produced record profits in recent years. last year's aggregate profit for the five companies represented here today amount to $64 billion. unfortunately, what appears to be missing among the dollar signs it is corporate responsibility and an obligation to end -- to operate in an environmentally responsible matter, to provide safe working environment, to be good neighbors, and to reduce the environmental impact. general is company's claim that stewardship as part of their philosophy. i think that each of the companies represented here today have made the representatioo. that we're beginning to find as this committee and its other subcommittees investigate this disaster is that rather than corporate responsibility, we may have been forced hawke culture of corporate irresponsibility.

we know that letting corporations operate under weak regulation, they began to ignore warning signs, a short cut procedurrs, and failed to properly plan for disasters, and that put profits above all else. and a lot of what we are observing in the sector could have just as well been said about what we saw on wall street with the financial collapse in the last couple of years. governments and industry all have a role to play in protecting future environmental and economic disaster. as lawmakers, we have the responsibility to our constituents, our nation, the those who lost jobs, those who lost their lives to put an end to reckless and hold that actors accountable. i look forward to hearing to hearing from the witnesses about the role they believe they and the government plays. i yield back the balance of my time.

>> to chair recognizes the gentleman from arkansas. >> thank you, mr. chairman, for holding this hearing to discuss the safety and security of current offshore drilling practices and the future of energy production in our nation. -pin the wake of the worst oil spill in our nation's history, we must nowwlearn from this disaster. we must reevaluate our operating methods and examine how oil will be a part of america's future energy policy. as oil prices and oil company profits have increased dramatically over the last decade, so was our nation's dependence on foreign oil with the u.s. importing approximately 52% of the oil it consumed last year. while i believe that our policies must be broad enough to create energy from a variety of

domestic sources, including domestic oil and natural gas, i also recognize the importance of awful investment in biofuels, nuclear, hydro power, wind, solar, and clean coal technology. on day 57 of this disaster with no end in sight, i am hopeful that the five companies testifying today can inform us of what we're wrong, how this tragedy could have been prevented, and how the american people can have assurance that this will never happen again. i believe the administration and our government must do more to hold these companies accountable for their drilling practices and in short the most advanced technologies and safety procedures are in place. once agaan, mr. chairman, thank you for holding the hearing and i look for today's testimony. >> we thank the gentleman. the chair recognizes the gentleman from vermont.

>> it's absolutely outrageous that we're here today. what happened in the gulf was something that bp assured us woull never, ever happened. and if it did happen, it was foreseeable and inevitable. at everyyturn, reckless corner cutting, and decisions that were made for money not safety. mr. chairman, i want to take this opportunity to address the current crisis. as bp debates with the issue of second quarter dividends on their annual $10 billion dividend, we have people in the gulf coast to need compensation. responsible companies pay their obliiations, and then they pay dividends. many in congress have joined me in my call on bp to direct dividend funds to an escrow account to be available to deal with the heartache and the destruction of livelihood in the gull coast.

bp has confirmed its intention to make good on its obligation. now we ask that bp take financial steps consistent with its assurances. president obama and 54 members of the u.s. senate have called for the establishment of the independently dministered $20 billion escrow fund. mr. mckay, i further call on bp to deposit dividend funds into this escrow account so that the citizens of the gulf and the taxpayers f this country can be a short they your commany will meet its obligation. i yield back the balance of my time. >> we thank the gentleman. the chair recognizes the gentleman from utah. >> bank, mr. chairman, from holding this hearing. -- thank you, mr. chairman, for holding this hearing. i know the way that your company

does business and we're also going to hear about the explosion on april 23 you will discuss your safety records and lessons learned from past events. i think it is fair to say that many of your companies are immune from criticism and accidents couldst happen at any place. as has been mentioned already on friday night, the chevron pippline began leaking in salt lake city, and before being shut gallons of oil. it leaks into the jordan river which empties into the great salt lake. the great salt lake is one of the most important estuaries for migrating birds in the west. current information indicates that oil has not yet hit a great salttlake. more important, drinking water have been protected. with 33,000 gallons, that is a pittance compared to the spill

in the ankle. and the impact on my city's economy will not be anywhere near what it will be for gulf coast residents. it highlights the importance for federal government oversight of our infrastructure. this particular chevron pipeline was last inspected in 2008. we need to find out the results of that inspection and that the inspection gave it any hint of this event. right now, the causes that of branch -- why was a fence post within inches of the pipeline.. when the electricity or through that this post, and it burned hole into the pipeline. that is the current explanation. we need answers for that. and we need the monarch king equipment on the pipeline failing. failing.