Natalie Bailey/MNS
“I go to bed and wake up thinking about the oil spill,” Obama said at the White House Thursday.
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama defended his administration’s handling of the BP oil spill Thursday and called fixing it his highest priority during a White House news conference.
Anyone who doesn’t think this is the case has the facts wrong, he said.
Obama said he is angry and frustrated with the failure to stop the thousands of gallons of oil that have been spewing into the Gulf of Mexico since a BP rig exploded April 20. More than a month later, oil continues to spread into the ocean, threatening the wildlife and livelihood of the region.
“I take responsibility,” he said.
Obama has ordered the suspension of 33 deep water exploratory wells being drilled in the Gulf of Mexico. He also announced:
– A six-month extension on a moratorium on all new deep-water well;
– Suspension of the planned exploration of two locations off the coast of Alaska;
– Cancellation of the pending lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico and the proposed sale off the coast of Virginia.
Obama has ordered a task force to investigate what he called a “cozy and sometimes corrupt” relationship between oil companies and the Minerals Management Service, the agency that regulates offshore drilling.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was in the middle of a “clean-up” of the agency when the spill occurred, the president said.
The president would not comment on today’s resignation of the director of the MMS, Elizabeth Birnbaum.
The failure to stop the spill has shown that oil companies do not have their act together to deal with worst-case scenarios, Obama said. Which has led him to consider whether or not the government should have superior equipment to handle drilling crises like the BP spill.
While oil is a significant part of the U.S. economy, the BP spill highlights the need to look to other resources and move on the climate bill that is waiting to see the Senate floor, Obama said.
“This disaster should serve as a wake-up call that it’s time to move forward on this legislation,” he said.