House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) suggested Thursday morning that the federal government should share responsibility for the oil spill off the Gulf Coast.
"I think the people responsible in the oil spill, BP and the federal government, should take full responsibility for [the oil spill]," Boehner said during a press briefing.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) office claimed that Boehner's remarks signaled his support for using public funds BP to help pay for the damage caused by the environmental disaster.
"House Republican Leader John Boehner ... declared that American taxpayers should bailout the Big Oil giant," a press release from the Speaker's office stated. "House Democrats are siding with American taxpayers. BP should be held accountable."
Boehner's staff told several media outlets that the comments were only meant to reflect that the government should be responsible for oversight, and not the costs accrued by the clean up.
During the briefing Boehner also criticized the amount hearings being held on Capitol Hill to investigate the spill.
"Well, this is congress at it's best," Boehner joked, eliciting laughter from the journalists in attendance. "Why the hell don't we get the oil stopped ... figure out what the hell went wrong, and then have the hearing and get the damn law fixed?"
Boehner Says The Government Should Share Responsibility For The BP Spill
"I think the people responsible in the oil spill, BP and the federal government, should take full responsibility for [the oil spill]," Boehner said during a press briefing.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) office claimed that Boehner's remarks signaled his support for using public funds BP to help pay for the damage caused by the environmental disaster.
"House Republican Leader John Boehner ... declared that American taxpayers should bailout the Big Oil giant," a press release from the Speaker's office stated. "House Democrats are siding with American taxpayers. BP should be held accountable."
Boehner's staff told several media outlets that the comments were only meant to reflect that the government should be responsible for oversight, and not the costs accrued by the clean up.
During the briefing Boehner also criticized the amount hearings being held on Capitol Hill to investigate the spill.
"Well, this is congress at it's best," Boehner joked, eliciting laughter from the journalists in attendance. "Why the hell don't we get the oil stopped ... figure out what the hell went wrong, and then have the hearing and get the damn law fixed?"