Boehner: Government--i.e. Taxpayers--Should Help Pay For Oil Spill

[TomCADem]

Source: TPMDC

Congressional Democrats and the White House are toying with different ways to force BP to cover the costs of damages from the Gulf oil spill. But they face stiff opposition from industry...and it seems leading Republicans. In response to a question from TPMDC, House Minority Leader John Boehner said he believes taxpayers should help pick up the tab for the clean up.

"I think the people responsible in the oil spill--BP and the federal government--should take full responsibility for what's happening there," Boehner said at his weekly press conference this morning.

Boehner's statement followed comments last Friday by US Chamber of Commerce CEO Tom Donohue who said he opposes efforts to stick BP, a member of the Chamber, with the bill. "It is generally not the practice of this country to change the laws after the game," he said. "Everybody is going to contribute to this clean up. We are all going to have to do it. We are going to have to get the money from the government and from the companies and we will figure out a way to do that."

So today I asked Boehner, "Do you agree with Tom Donohue of the Chamber that the government and taxpayers should pitch in to clean up the oil spill?" The shorter answer is yes.


Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/boehner-government--ie-taxpayers--should-help-pay-for-oil-spill.php?ref=fpa

[Cha]

1. Tell boner..

Hell NO.

[happygoluckytoyou]

22. 1 1/2 MILLION GALLONS A DAY or as BP calls it.... 5000 a day

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Oh, for crying out loud...

Could he be any more predictable?

:eyes:

[defendandprotect]

3. And that's capitalism . . . they wreck everything ... we pay for it--!!

[dflprincess]

5. More socialized risk

to save private profits.

[bulloney]

20. In Boner's little mind, there's always money for wars and big business, but screw the little guy.

Hey Boner! The BP disaster is a classic example of deregulation running wild. BP and the other oil companies paid you guys off and convinced you that we don't need any stinkin' regulations. Now, the inevitable is happening and your knee-jerk response is to saddle the taxpayers.

You did the same thing with the big banks during our recent economic crash.

The fact that you won convincingly in your recent primary race makes me even more cynical toward Ohio voters. All they do is check if there's an R or a D next to the name if if that candidate is "pro-life."

[defendandprotect]

42. War continues to be a huge profit center for elites ... and amazing what they get

done behind the wall of war!!

[shirleym]

4. This really should do him in...but Dems don't know how to use this stuff.

And the media won't allow them to use it anyway.

[activa8tr]

43. Yes, agree, this should be the END of the boner era!!!! n/t

[DebbieCDC]

6. I'm sure all those unemployed workers in my birth state of Ohio

are just THRILLED with Boner tonight. That man-tan shit he uses has got to be eating away at his brain. No effing body can be that stupid.

[Dr.Phool]

7. OK Boner. You demand that we reduce the deficit.....

But, in the same breath, we should use taxpayer money to assist a foreign corporation, who has billions of dollars in profits.

Are you out of your fucking mind? Totally insane?

Do you even listen to yourself? It's obvious that your constituents don't. Otherwise another asshole like you would ever be elected to congress again.

[FBI_Un_Sub]

8. Only if

the People take all right, title, and interest to ALL of BP's assets, including all leases. Like, we just take over the company.

[and-justice-for-all]

9. Uh, hell no and fuck you boner...nt

[rhett o rick]

10. Of course the republicans willsay that out loud. The Democrats feel the same way

just wont say it out loud.

[Historic NY]

11. What, why should we be on the hook? Think of all them oil profits....

We should be seizing them and all their assets then. AMOF we should be freezing thier accounts here from being sent off shore.

[newspeak]

49. Well, heard on Rachel's show last night

BP already is getting some of our money--it seems they have a few BIG government contracts-billions of our money. So, they can shite on our livelihoods, our environment and get paid by us. Let's face it, the government (allowing corporations to sign their own inspections) and corporations are so in bed with each other, that fascism is already here. "Fascism is business and government against the will of the people."

[Dawson Leery]

12. Again, the GOP's insanity will most likely end up the saving grace of the Dems in the fall.

[wordpix]

39. the pro-oil drilling Dems don't look too good, either, and that includes O

Lucky for him, he's not running this time around

[JDPriestly]

13. K&R because it is important that DUers read this.

Never know when you might need this in your next encounter with a FREEPER.

[Sherman A1]

14. Unfortunately we will end up paying for a good bit of it.

either through BP (and friends) raising our prices, BP going bankrupt and leaving us with the tab, BP using the court system to drag this out forever or BP just walking away after the liability cap is reached.

As much as I want to grind BP into the dirt, plug the leak with the carcasses of the Board of Directors and regulate them into a place we never having to worry about as much as having a ink spill on a desk, we are going to get screwed. It's just a matter as to how.

[No Elephants]

17. Allowing BP to pay a dividend should help hasten that bankruptcy.

We started to pay already though.

[Trajan]

15. The people responsible for the spill ?

Oh .... That was Obama running that damned platform .... eh ?

Oh .... He was the manager ?

Um .... Rig Worker ?


Sheeesh ... Cmon Boner ... Cheap attempt to tie Democrats to your friends in the Oil Industry .....


Fuck you ....

[No Elephants]

16. Taxpayers are already paying and will ultimately pay much more than BP ever will.

If you don't grasp that blatantly obvious reality, I don't know what to tell you.

[TomCADem]

53. But Boehner and The U.S. Chamber Also Want To Help Bail-Out BP

Remember the Exxon Valdez and how John Roberts overrulled a $5 billion verdict against Exxon. This is why elections matter. This is why we need to work to elect Democrats, not Republicans, and why it is important to have Obama able to put judges on the Supreme Court like Sonia Sotomayor.

[fasttense]

18. Ah privatize the profits and socialize the losses... free markets, what a scam. n/t

[Hubert Flottz]

19. We need to bring some of that oil to Washington to boil SOBs

like Boinger in.

[DailyGrind51]

21. If Pelosi or Reid had said something like this, it would be repeated on every MSM newscast!

[Raster]

23. If we the American taxpayer should help fund the clean-up efforts, we should

we should also receive part of BP's profits. I mean, we're partners in this right?

Heads on pikes...

[wordpix]

38. the fines are $4300/barrel + whatever else is spewed is owed in royalties to US

So when will the fines be levied and when will those royalties roll in?

:eyes: :shrug:

[FiveGoodMen]

52. "Heads on pikes"

Yup.

That gets my vote.

These people think they can get away with anything.

Because they really can.

Because we keep letting them.

[YewNork]

24. Taking money from other people to give to BP? That sounds like socialism to me.

[Thav]

25. No, it's an even scarier word than that...

Fascism.

[Lerkfish]

26. As I predicted from the beginning.

We will foot the bill for BP's negligence.

[erpowers]

27. No

BP should have the pay the full bill for the cleanup. They were the main reason for the spill so they should have to pay for cleanup.

[Jefferson23]

28. Take your socialist ideas and go fuck yourself Boehner. n/t

[NewJeffCT]

29. Well, Sarah Palin wants the government to take over BP

which is also socialism the last I checked... of course, that just leaves us with paying the cleanup costs.

[Jefferson23]

31. Yep, and you would hope their supporters could see through

their bullshit by now. Sad.

[NewJeffCT]

41. Expecting Palin supporters to see through the BS

is likely too much to ask. I mean, is somebody is still supporting her after almost two years in the spotlight and all the associated scandals, hate-mongering and general idiocy, not to mention quitting her job, they're likely a lost cause.

[disndat]

30. Republican credo

Deregulate, deregulate, tax, tax, tax.

[JoshieR]

32. I have an idea....

...have republicans help cover the cost of the oil spill. I am opposed to corporate welfare and paying for other peoples'...I mean companies' laziness and greed.

[Strelnikov_]

33. Republican Platform: Privatize the profits, socialize the risks. n/t

[wordpix]

37. ain't it the truth? What about their "small government" meme? Where's the T-party on this one?

[Zynx]

55. And they always complain about "distorting markets".

There's no bigger distortion than doing that.

[Javaman]

34. boner, says what? nt

[pnwmom]

35. Does anyone know what he is referring to when he says:

"It is generally not the practice of this country to change the laws after the game."

We already have liability laws that would make them responsible for the costs. So what is he talking about?

[wordpix]

36. Boner, go back to snorting your Camels - & fine BP the $4300/barrel + royalties to US

maybe then we can afford to pay for cost of cleanup. How about stopping the spill?

[Paper Roses]

40. No, no, a thousand times NO.

We've paid enough for the government and corporate folly that is going on. I've had it with all of them.

You know who Boehner's taxpayers are? The middle class. Baloney.

A pox on all your houses.

[ixion]

44. The GOP always supports corporate welfare

It's only taxpayers whom they are loathe to support.

[smirkymonkey]

45. And right after they've paid that off, I think the government (tax-

payers) should pay off my massive student loan. Why play favorites?

[Hosnon]

46. So the all-knowing and all-powerful free market gets a pass on this one?

I can barely contain my shock...really....

And I'm still waiting for the market to clean up the spill.

[bikebloke]

47. Then we'd better get our billion dollar bonuses.

Just like BP execs.

[Maine-ah]

48. BP can go fuck off

they should be paying for the whole fucking disaster. :mad: :mad:

[bdamomma]

50. Boehner is delusional.

No way are the citizens going to pay for this negligence.

[cascadiance]

51. So Boner! You want to keep boning Americans? I say we T-BONE YOU!!!

[Quantess]

54. Norman Goldman played a clip of that today

He made the point that Boehner admitted that the Bush administration was to blame.