Gulf oil spill: Congressional frustration with BP chief Tony Hayward

A House investigative panel resumed its grilling of BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward on Thursday afternoon after a frustrating morning during which oil company chief spent much time avoiding tough questions.

“I sincerely hope that you will reconsider your approach to these questions,” Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), chairman of a subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce panel, told Hayward, who sat expressionless at the witness table. “I hope you will be more forthcoming and less evasive with your answers for the remainder of this hearing.”

Hayward had come before the subcommittee on oversight and investigations to apologize for the oil leak at BP’s underwater well in the Gulf of Mexico and to pledge to make it all right. He stayed focused on those two points even though the committee wanted specific answers on safety issues and on whether BP had cut corners leading up to the disaster that began in April, when a deep-water rig exploded and the well began gushing millions of barrels of oil into the gulf.

In one exchange, Stupak noted that in the last five years, 26 workers had died and 700 had been injured in accidents at BP sites in Alaska and Texas. The lawmaker criticized the company’s poor safety record.
Safety is always a top priority, “that is why I am so devastated with this accident,” Hayward insisted.

Asked directly what BP had learned about safety from the gulf accident, Hayward, as he had noted in his opening statement, would say only that “our investigation is ongoing.”

“You have not reached a conclusion that BP cut corners?” Stupak asked.

“I think it's too early to reach conclusions, Mr. Chairman,” Hayward replied.

“I'm amazed at this testimony, Mr. Hayward,” Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills) said at one point. “You are not taking responsibility. You are kicking the can down the road.”

Hayward said he was “not prepared to draw conclusions until investigation is completed.”

“I'm not stonewalling,” he said.

As the hearing continued, it seemed that the more specific the inquiries, the greater the frustration for the lawmakers. For example, Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), as he often does, demanded a "yes" or "no" answer to his questions, leading to this exchange:

Dingell: Mr. Hayward, you had two choices, using single casing or tie-back. The risks are substantial associated with single casing, which is what BP chose. Please answer yes or no. Can you assure us that, under oath, that that was not a decision made to save time and money?

Hayward: I wasn't part of that decision-making process. It was...

Dingell: I'm sorry?

Hayward: I was not part of that decision-making process, so I can't possibly know the basis on which that decision was taken.

Dingell: How much money was saved by using the single string casing?

Hayward: I believe the documents refer to a sum of, I think -- I think -- $7 [million] to $10 million. And they also refer to the fact that the casing would have longer term integrity ...

Dingell: Please, please ...

With answers to some specifics difficult, it was the politics that took over.

Earlier, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) stunned the committee with his comments about the agreement by BP and the White House to establish a $20-billion escrow fund to aid victims of the spill. The agreement was announced on Wednesday after President Obama met with top BP executives.

“I’m ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday,” Barton said. “I think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown. In this case, a $20-billion shakedown with the attorney general of the United States, who is legitimately conducting a criminal investigation and has every right to do so to protect the interests of the American people, participating in what amounts to a $20-billion slush fund. It is unprecedented in our nation’s history.”

The comments have been widely attacked by Democrats and the White House. Republicans have questioned Barton's language, but questions about the fund seem part of the GOP position.

“I am not going to apologize to you,” Rep. Michael Burgess, another Texas Republican, told Hayward in an apparent reference to Barton’s earlier comments.

“‘It was, after all, BP executives who were on that rig, BP executives who ultimately could have made the call to stop operations when things became unsafe,” he said. “Ultimately you are the person at the top, and you are responsible.”

“I don’t feel apologies are in order, but I do have serious questions about the fund,” he continued, noting that he also had questions about whether the federal government had done its job to oversee offshore drilling.

“Shame on you for submitting it,” Burgess told Hayward of BP’s offshore-drilling plans sent to the government. “Shame on us for accepting it.”

-- Richard Simon in Washington

-- Michael Muskal in Los Angeles

RELATED:

BP CEO Tony Hayward in the hot seat

Congressional hearings begin with attack on BP

Partisan politics over $20-billion escrow fund

White House attacks GOP lawmaker for criticism of BP escrow account

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Comments

[Magdi el Beheiri]

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Thank you,

Magdi el Beheiri

President & CEO,
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phone: +20 12 210 4150

Director General,
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Phone: +971 50 766 4688

e.mail: magdi@epecoGULF.com ,
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[Godslion]

Again I say, is it not interesting how many people will WAIL & CRY & SOB for hours over pelicans who are covered in oil, over beached whales, over the loss of trees on a college campus ( University of California at Berkeley) yet they will not shed ONE SINGLE TEAR over the 50 million babies who have been murdered in the womb in abortions since 1976. Not One tear. They will not shed a SINGLE TEAR over the 1.5 million that will be murdered in 2010! Not ONE tear. They will not shed a SINGLE TEAR over the fact that we have legalized MASS MURDER going on in the USA. Not ONE tear. What hypocrisy!!! That’s right - save the birds - kill the babies!!! Save the whales - kill the babies!!! Save the trees - kill the babies!!!

[Thomas Kirk]

What do politicians and the media expect? An executive representative of a major corporation testifies with the Attorney General present. An attorney general who has opened a criminal investigation into his and his companies actions. Any of us would be guided by our attorney's advice. That's common sense and congress knew the results prior to this hearing. Our congressmen and congresswomen are are not stupid. They are good at putting on a show but have shown little if any actual problem solving ability.

Congress has been through hearings of this type before and knew they would get no specific answers. This was a waste of everyone's time. Those participating in this "show" should have picked up shovels, called in more skimmer boats, get the tools and personnel offered by numerous other countries. In other words, help "solve" the problem. Help with the clean up...actually do something instead of just complaining. Actions speak louder than words. No wonder congress continues to decrease its pole ratings!

[Norberto Octolan]

The saddest part of this, is that it is nothing more than theatre. These hack politicians that have not run anything successfully themselves, continue to pontificate and posture, to try to make themselves appear as great heroes and rescuers of the common man. Yet it is their flawed policies, driven by their corruption and dedication to unions and environmental extremists, that led to BP being forced to drill in mile deep water, rather than on land in ANWR, or in much shallower gulf waters. Why don't these hack politicians get out of the way, rather than continue their race towards socialism and destroying everything that made our country great and that has given us the standard of living we have?

[thgirbla]

While Al Capone Jr. continues to do HIS thing in the Oval Office !!!

Following these Hearings...................

............let's have a series of Publicly aired Hearings on ALL Networks in both the House and the Senate, investigating the incompetence and waste and stonewalling practiced by the Fed. Govt. !!! (That includes the Executive Branch !!!)

Talk about the Pot calling the Kettle Black !!!

[LA Tax Payer]

Waxman
Two words
SHUT UP!!!!!