The Obama Administration “pledged an all-out response Thursday to the massive oil spill now expected to reach the Gulf Coast within a day and dispatched top officials to the region to help coordinate defenses against the potential environmental disaster,” the AP reports.
"We are being very aggressive and we are prepared for the worst case," Coast Guard Rear Adm. Sally Brice-O’Hara said at the White House. Federal officials announced inspections would begin immediately of all oil rigs in the Gulf and subpoena powers would be used in the gathering investigation. But the priority was to support the oil company BP PLC in employing booms, skimmers, chemical dispersants and controlled burns to fight the oil surging from the seabed.
With that background in mind, Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) wrote a letter to President Obama today indicating his intention to file “legislation that would for the time being prohibit the Interior Department from action on your administration’s plans to expand offshore drilling, including seismic testing and other exploratory operations.”
(credit image – associated press)
Congress in Your Pocket
S E N A T U S 
While I can understand his attempt to delay the administration’s plans to expand offshore drilling, it makes no sense to include seismic testing and other exploratory operations. Eventually we’re going to have to start using more untapped domestic petroleum resources whilst transitioning to other energy sources, unless the real intent is to keep us overly dependent on foreign supplies.