Just Three Senators Question BP in Hearing

By: Sharyl Attkisson
Topics: News

If BP America President Lamar McKay worried about tough questioning by the Senate Homeland Security Committee today, he need not have been too concerned.

Fresh from a long weekend break, only three Senators - Joseph Lieberman, Susan Collins, and Mark Pryor - of the 17-member Homeland Security Committee showed up to ask any questions at all. Others popped in and out of the panel.

Lieberman and Collins praised McKay for the fact that BP has cooperated with the investigation, and promptly dismissed him before a full 45 minutes had passed.

He wasn't asked about last night's 60 Minutes exclusive that opened a number of new questions in the disaster.

Senators seemed a bit more miffed at the federal Minerals Management Service. That's the branch of the Interior Department that oversees offshore oil drilling. They said that officials from MMS had, unlike BP, refused to appear at the hearing. Shortly before the hearing, word came that a key official at MMS would be retiring early: at the end of the month.

Special Section: Disaster in the Gulf

In the short time McKay appeared before Senators today, he acknowledged that there was never a contingency plan for the scenario that has occurred. The Coast Guard didn't have one either. McKay said that if all else fails, the relief wells that could stop the leak will take months to dig and complete. He said that emergency response plans across the board for offshore oil drilling will have to be rethought in light of what's happened and how ill-prepared everyone seemed to be. Maybe McKay's questioning need not have been longer. Too much is still unknown. And there will be more hearings down the road.

Were Oil Rig Warnings Ignored?

Sharyl Attkisson
Sharyl Attkisson is a CBS News investigative correspondent based in Washington. All of her stories, videos and blogs are available here.
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by JayAdler1 May 19, 2010 12:40 AM EDT: Maintain-integrity: Thank you for acknowledging me, I appreciate your reply.Many people fall into semantic misinterpretations and you did an amusing Jules Verne. My use of the word "responsible" when I wrote it did not mean that I hereby confirm BP as being responsible as an oil company, primarily because I know nothing about their fundamentals or the oil business. The sentence means that they were hired as being responsible for implementing the terms of my their contract. My knowledge of their safety record is zero, however I am impressed with the fact that you have been exposed to their history and data. As far as what and who I watch on television, I may have missed your last visit to my home but next time we review my TV favorites, I will give you my impression of Glenn Beck, one of the top 3 celebrities in the nation.; Reply to this comment


by aftinc May 18, 2010 1:10 PM EDT: I'm affraid some of these comments are correct. I'm starting to believe the US is run by 6 or 7 people/corps.; Reply to this comment


by isanyonefair May 18, 2010 8:06 AM EDT: "key official at MMS would be retiring early"

Does this mean we have to wait for the book for the dramatic "facts".

I do find it reasonable for the only three senators to be interested in this inquiry. Both the White House & Congress have been in the pockets of the energy industry. It wouldn't make to much sense for them to be seem overly hard on them. Nobody would believe it.

Also, being hard on the MMS makes sense. Sure they were told to look away. But they work for you, its not like they would stop the campaign contributions to the politicians.

People should vote for the politician with the least amount of money raised. Specifically contributions by corporations. Regardless of party affiliation.; Reply to this comment


by omega42 May 18, 2010 8:05 AM EDT: Lieberman and Collins praised McKay for the fact that BP has cooperated with the investigation, and promptly dismissed him before a full 45 minutes had passed.
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In China this guy would be swinging from the gallows.; Reply to this comment


by wdh3007 May 18, 2010 7:27 AM EDT: Only three senators show up for hearings I guess the others are to involved with BP to make an appearence huh shows how much our Congress is such a corrupt institution!; Reply to this comment


by YourRearViewMirror1 May 18, 2010 6:18 AM EDT: But Rush Linbaugh told me the North Koreans did it.

Hey, Republicans: hows that 'small government' working for you? What happens when you 'get big government off the backs of business'? Ans: Time-bombs go off everywhere: the housing market, the derivatives market, coal mining, oil drilling, and right in your stomach, courtesy of our unregulated foods industries. Sorta makes you wonder, what's still out there, ticking, waiting to go off.

but here's what's important: income taxes are lower this year than since the Truman administration. Put a few bucks in your pocket, and pass the tar ball.; Reply to this comment


by babooph May 18, 2010 3:51 AM EDT: This guy did 100 times the damage of Bin Ladin,but he likes Israel & bribes with lobbyists so...; Reply to this comment


by JayAdlerMusic May 18, 2010 1:56 AM EDT: This will be one of my short comments, I never get too deep into stories where I do not have all the facts. As an observation, for now and for better or worse BP is our responsible contractor and I would not bang on them while they are still working. There is a Senator that actually may lose the election because the state represented has become a literal Dante's Inferno and coupled with that piece of news you can add a prevalent anti-incumbency tide across the nation. this Senator advocates investigation and possible criminal complaints.Just as an observation, there appears to be very large political contributions involved and behavior by both parties that would be exposed at EBT's and depositions and deposed testimony. I imply that maybe this Senator should let the hot stuff evolve naturally.You have to think in this scenario heads are going to roll all over the place.; Reply to this comment


by rightbehind May 18, 2010 12:39 AM EDT: This is a tragedy. The oil was probably for the world market. The US exports as much oil as it imports. The corporate brakes clearly need to be applied. I heard on the news tonight they have already started drilling farther out to sea in waters more than 2500 feet deeper. The gulf already had vast dead zones. Any sea life that comes in contact with the crude will die.; Reply to this comment


by Skruffy1 May 17, 2010 11:57 PM EDT: No surprise that Lieberman showed up to praise BP. It's the kind of hard-hitting we've come to expect from him. Anything to defend the way things are.; Reply to this comment