Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today released the following statement regarding President Obama’s selection of Michael Bromwich to take over as the new head of the Minerals Management Service (MMS), the agency which oversees offshore oil drilling:
“As we continue to watch the daily flow of thousands of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, our nation has also been exposed to the sad fact that the Minerals Management Service has, over the years, become subservient to the industry it is supposed to regulate. MMS needs new leadership – leadership that will effectively exercise the oversight authorities entrusted to that agency, and that will put an end to the cozy relationship between big oil and government regulators.
“President Obama’s selection today of Michael Bromwich to lead MMS is a sound one. As the Justice Department’s Inspector General under President Clinton, I knew Mr. Bromwich as a disciplined public servant and able lawyer who took his oversight responsibilities seriously. These traits are essential as we continue to investigate the systemic shortcomings at MMS and work to ensure that the disaster in the Gulf is never repeated.”
###
