hugo chÁvez and mahmoud ahmadinejad will be popping champagne, but the consumers will rrmember the goodold days when gas was only four dollars per gallon. i asked secretary salazar to ask what went wrong on that the deepwater horizon rig. he said you believed it was preventable, that ii was the result of human error and overlooked safety regulations. [buzzer sounds] i will wait for that. we will not be satisfied until there is no danger to our environment. let us learn from this awful mistake, fix the problem, clean up the gulf, and look forward to fixing our ailing economy and creating private sector jobs. >> we recognize the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from california, henry waxman. >> thank you for holding this hearing and for your tenacious work on this issue. you have been a true advocate for transparency and admonished traded accountability. accountability.ative%- you have kept the american people informed about the unfolding disaster in the gulf. yesterday, we released a letter excoriating the terrible decisions made by bp in the days leading up to the blowout.

hugo chavez will be popping champagne. the team of engineers tapped by secretary ken salazar to examine what went wrong on the rig recently wrote, "we believe the blowout was caused by a highly improbable chain of human error is coupled with several equipment failures and was preventable. the petroleum industry will learn from this. it can and will do better. we should not be satisfied --" just wait for a second. "we should not be satisfied until there are no debts and environmental impacts offshore ever. however, we must understand that as with any human endeavor, there will always be risks." let's learn from this awful mistake, fix the problem, clean up the golf, and move forward to fixing our ailing economy and creating private-sector jobs. i yield back my time. >> the chair recognizes the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from california, mr. henry waxman. >> thank you for joint -- for holding this hearing and for your to natioenacious work. your efforts have kept congress and the american people informed a

the gentleman earlier talked about hugo chavez. i saw the picture of the president glad handed a handshake with hugo chavez almost a year ago. i said when it comes to nationalizing companies, hugo chavez had taken over a cargill rice plant in venezuela. but when it comes to nationalizing companies, hugo chavez is a piker, he can't hold a candle to the president of the united states of america. today we've lost 51% of our private sector activity to the nationalization of this federal government and they have nationalized under obamacare, our skin and everything inside it, the most sovereign thing we have, now we can't manage it the way we managed it before. we can only manage our health care in the future under the permission of the federal government. by the way, nationalized our skin and everything inside it and let's just say if your daughter is getting ready far prom or wedding and she wants to go to a tanning salon, obamacare taxes the outside of your skin too, to the tune of 10%. what is that about? why do something that's so

akin: i know america likes to win but i don't know if we want to do better than hugo chavez. that's not exactly where most americans would be going, i don't think. mr. broun: well, during the bush administration, we had the tarp funds, the troubled assets relief program that the bush administration promoted actually through the secretary of the treasury, hank paulson, who came to us and said the sky was falling and we had to pass a tarp or the economy was going to crash. i voted against that. i was in favor of bailing out the incompetent wall street bankers for their malfeasance. i want to bail out main street. small business men and women. i want to bail out the small community banks. by getting the federal regulatory burden off of them. i think that the free marketplace, unincurvered by government regulation and taxes is the best way to control quality, quantity. in health care services, as a doctor, or selling gasoline and automobile parts or appliances, like my dad did. or any other good or service, the best way to control it is through an open marketplace un incumbered b

if we don't drill, hugo chavez will drill.we need to improve our technology and ability to prevent oil from moving to the shortstops. and learn how to use this material safer because we are going to use it. >> brown: let me ask you both this-- we talked about this happening, this kind of crisis every so often. what do we know what that does to people? you said it's a clarion call, even more. but what do we know about actual changes in public attitudes, willingness to change technology or behavior. >> americans do support using less oil. the problem is they aren't offered many realistic choices. when oil prices were $147 a barrel two years another driving only went down, like, 3%. why? because people didn't have many choices. what we need is government help to get private entrepreneurs and innovateors to human provide better, cleaner choices. for example, toyota just made a deal with tesla to make a sedan that is all electric. you know, ken, one of the reasons why electric cars were abandoned 100 years ago is because the auto c

wealth fund that controls a corporation her% in the united statesif you are citgo controlled by hugo chavez, you have no business spending money in u.s. elections, overtly or secretly. if we don't do something about that now, they'll be able to do either of those things. number t, we say if you are a federal contractor, if you are getting over $10 million from e american taxpayer, or you are a.i.g., you shouldn't be recycling those moneys into elections to try and influence the body that gave you the contracts, because there is a greater danger of corruption in the expenditure of those moneys. and third, we require disclosure. we believe the voter has a right to know. you would think from the commen from the other side of the aislwe are restricting what people an say. that's not true. you can say anything you want in any ad you want. what you can't do is hide behind the darkness. not tell people who you are. voters have a right know when they see an ad going on with a nice sounding name, the fund for a better america, they have a rit to know o is paying for it. they have a right to know if

but a lot more of dollars nationalized by this president than by hugo chavez. and that's not a stretch, mr. speaker, but simply a fact that as hugo chavez is blown hundreds of billions of dollars. and how do we get this economy back? i'll submit, it isn't going to happen under this president. president obama isn't going to let go of companies taken over by this federal government. i asked the question of the secretary of the treasury under oath and i presented it in a written form, because we ran out of time in the hearing. the question is, president obama was elected at least in part because of his challenge to president bush where president bush allegedly not having an exit strategy in iraq. we heard that. that rhetoric is old, but it's back there and the record is full of it. so my question to the secretary of the treasury tim geithner was, the president has been elected in part for his criticism of president bush for not having an exit strategy in iraq. what is the exit strategy for the obama administration to die investigate themselves from the takeover of

and hugo chavez as is done ass* * *. guhost: tony heyward will be thursday. if you want to see all of the past year is, you can go to our website, c-span.org/oil spill. there's a special section for this and leaks about the oil spill. here is a sweet. -- here is a tweet. governor haley says the oil spill is no big deal. new york is next and this is john of our democrats online. go ahead with your thoughts. caller: i thank you for cspan. the coastline in the coast is be spoiled anyway and that could change policy. everything is correct anyway. -- everything is wrecked any way. that is a shallow coastal i compare to the other oceans. -- that is a shallow coastline compared to the other oceans. there is deep water life under see that is being killed.+ if there is nothing left to lose, that will change policy for the worst host: kimberly, west virginia, on our independent line. go ahead. hello? caller: i thinn the oil spill is a cover-up just like 9/11. host: describe that further. what do you mean by a cover-up? what is being covered up? caller: i think this hap

chairman of the western hem fear subcommittee, i'd like to call attention that venezuelan president hugo chavez at one time agreed to provide 20,000 barrels per day of refined gasoline to iran and to invest in the iranian natural gas sector. iran is an importer of refined gas and this bill will hit them where it hurts, in the energy and financial sectors. i'd liie to also support my support for section 110 of the bill which requires a report on other energy imports into iran. the u.s. and brazil are the world's largest ethanol producers and i'm glad to hear from brazil's private ethanol producers that they have no plan to supply ethanol to iran, bbending it to gasoline, as they prefer to build a global export market an cord by the u.s. and european markets. that's why this bill is so important. we must continue to monitor this area, the ethanol imports could undermine energy sanctions on iran. it has been recognized that a nuclear armed iran would be a danger not only to israel but also to the entire middle east and the nuclear non-proliferation regime and is sun acceptable, when ahmadinejad sa

we are going to have to start buying more oil from hugo chavez for dea. we are at their drilling in 5,000 feet of water. we are not drilling because that is where the oil is, but because that is where the environmentalists have got us. there is oil close to shore. there's lots of oil off of the coast of california. instead of sitting there and smoking pot they could start drilling oil. most of the governor of alaska rights and opinion piece this morning saying that npra was set aside by president harding in 1923 for the specific purpose of supplying the country with oil and gas. since 1976 it has been administered by the department of the interior and since 1988 has been theoretically open for development. recent estimates indicate that it holds 12 billion barrels of oil and 73 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. it is very close to the trans alaska pipeline, meaning it would be little in terms of additional infrastructure for the domestic market. even this project has been stalled. the state has worked with locals and tribes on balance development plans

wealth fund that controls a corporation here in the united states, if you are citgo controlled by hugo chavez, you have no business spending money in u.s. elections, overtly or secretly. if we don't do something about that now, they'll be able to do either of those things. number two, we say if you are a federal contractor, if you are getting over $10 million from the american taxpayer, or you are a.i.g., you shouldn't be recycling those moneys into elections to try and influence the body that gave you the contracts, because there is a greater danger of corruption in the expenditure of those moneys. and third, we require disclosure. we believe the voter has a right to know. you would think from the comments from the other side of the aisle we are restricting what people an say. that's not true. you can say anything you want in any ad you want. what you can't do is hide behind the darkness. not tell people who you are. voters have a right know when they see an ad gng on with a nice sounding name, the fund for a better america, they have a right to know who is paying for it. they have a right t

wealth fund that controls a corporation her% in the united states, if you are citgo controlled by hugo chavez, you have no business spending money in u.s. elections, overtly or secretly. if we don't do something about that now, they'll be able to do either of those things.

wealth fund that controls a corporation her% in the united states, if you are citgo controlled by hugo chavez, you have no business spending money in u.s. elections, overtly or secretly. if we don't do something about that now, they'll be able t do either of those things. number two, we say if you are a federal contractor, if you are getting over $10 million from the american taxpayer, or you are a.i.g., you shouldn't be recycling those moneys into elections to try and influence the body that gave you the contracts, because there is a greater danger of corruption in the expeiture of those moneys. and third, we require disclosure. we believe the voter has a right to know. you would think from the comments from the other side of the aisle we are restricting what people an say. that's not true. you can say anything you want in any ad you want. what you can't do is hide behind the darkness. not tell people who you are. voters have a right know when they see an ad going on with a nice sounding name, the fund for a better america, they have a right to know who is paying for it. they have a right to

would much rather be getting it from our land and our waters than giving tankers coming in from hugo chavez in venezuela. let's do it cleanly with the best safeguards and that is the approach you take for american energy security, our drops and also our balance of trade as well. this is the last question. yes, sir. >> i'm just kind of curious--. >> you have a good super bowl quarterback out of byu. >> different personalities. i appreciate knowing your comparison, the common sense approach and competition being applied to our government and it seems very office-- obvious we should compete to the maximum ability we have. what is kind of comical what is being done at the moment. there is obviously enough poll that has got us to this point but what is the commonsense reason for being in this mess i guess? we keep moving in this direction of regulating and why is that? >> well, you know representative democracy does not run on automatic pilot. there is a requirement of the citizenry, the people who are the owners of the government to be informed and educated. the claire booth luce group clearly

elections scheduled sooling in venezuela -- soon in venezuela and nicaragua with a, we've seen both hugo chavez and daniel ortega pulling out all the stops to quell their opposition. from the media to the courts, chavez and/or takea have no chame -- and ortega have no shame in the dismissal of the democratic processes in their countries. as critical as it is to call out those who affront the principles of a democratic society, however, it is equally important to recognize those who embrace them which is why we are here today, madam speaker, standing in support of house resolution 1465. colombia represents to many the light at the end of the tunnel. colombia shows that with hard work, determination and a commitment to fundamental freedom, a democracy can flourish no matter what the odds. instead of falling into a deep division, colombia is ascending the peak of freedom and democracy. and i have no doubt that the vital alliance between our country and colombia is poised to become ever closer and more successful than ever under the leadership of president-elect santos. and i remain ever hopeful th

wealth fund that controls a corporation her% in the united states, if you are citgo controlled by hugo chavez, you have no business spending money in u.s. elections, overtly or secretly. if we don't do something about that now, they'll be able to do either of those things. number two, we say if you are a federal contractor, if you are getting over $10 million from the american taxpayer, or you are a.i.g., you shouldn't be recycling those moneys into elections to try and influence the body that gave you the contracts, because there is a greater danger of corruption in the expenditure of those moneys. and third, we require disclosure. we believe the voter has a right to know. you would think from the comments from the other side of the aisle we are restricting what people an say. that's not true. you can say anything you want in any ad you want. what you can't do is hide behind the darkness. not tell people who you are. voters have a right know when they see an ad going on with a nice sounding name, the fund for a better america, they have a right to know who is paying for it. they have a right

chairman of the western hem fear subcommittee, i'd like to call attention that venezuelan president hugo chavez at one time agreed to provide 20,000 barrels per day of refined gasoline to iran and to invest in the iranian natural gas sector. iran is an importer of refined gas and this bill will hit them where it hurts, in the energy and financial sectors. i'd liie to also support my support for section 110 of the bill which requires a report on other energy imports into iran. the u.s. and brazil are the world's largest ethanol producers and i'm glad to hear from brazil's private ethanol producers that they have no plan to supply ethanol to iran, bbending it to gasoline, as they prefer to build a global export market an cord by the u.s. and european markets. that's why this bill is so important. we must continue to monitor thi% area, the ethanol imports could undermine energy sanctions on iran. it has been recognized that a nuclear armed iran would be a danger not only to israel but also to the entire middle east and the nuclear non-proliferation regime and is sun acceptable, when ahmadinejad sa

hugo chavez will be popping champagne. the team of engineers tapped by secretary ken salazar to examine what went wrong on the rig recently wrote, "we believe the blowout was caused by a highly improbable chain of human errors coupled with several equipment failures and was preventable. the petroleum industry will learn from this. it can and will do better. we should not be satisfied --" just wait for a second. "we should not be satisfied until there are no deaths and environmental impacts offshore ever. however, we must understand that as with any human endeavor, there will always be risks." let's learn from this awful mistake, fix the problem, clean up the gulf, and move forward to fixing our ailing economy and creating private-sector jobs. i yield back my time. >> the chair recognizes the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from california, mr. henry waxman. >> thank you for joint -- for holding this hearing and for your tenacious work. your efforts have kept congress and the american people informed about the