Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, released the following statement on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill containment efforts in the Gulf Coast region. Burgess visited the region today as part of a Congressional Delegation (CODEL).

“My first goal as a federal representative is to make sure that the men and women involved in the cleanup effort have every tool at their disposal to safely and effectively control the spill. I am very impressed with the cooperation between the Coast Guard and BP. The two entities seem to be working together seamlessly and all are committed to resolving the situation, and I am hopeful this will continue. This trip is a learning experience for all of us, and our focus needs to remain on learning how this tragedy occurred and how we can prevent it from ever happening again. I’m here to meet with the commanders on the ground and see first-hand how the spill has affected the region, away from the partisan spinning of Washington. Right now there is a heroic ongoing effort to prevent the situation from worsening, and we must ensure that the individuals down here in the Gulf Coast have everything they need to continue their efforts.”

The CODEL visited the Unified Area Command center in Robert, LA, where they received a briefing from Rear Admiral Mary Landry. They also met with representatives from the Department of the Interior, US Minerals Management Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The CODEL then did a fly-over of the oil slick, marshland and deployed boom, and met with local officials, affected industries and response teams at the response site in Hopedale, LA.

The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing on the oil spill on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 10:00 am.


Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D., is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations, and a member of the Health and Energy & Environment subcommittees. He is also a member of the bipartisan, bicameral Joint Economic Committee. Prior to becoming a member of Congress in 2002, Congressman Burgess practiced medicine in North Texas for over 25 years.