Congress Response to BP Oil Spill: Nothing

The one-year anniversary of the BP oil well explosion in the Gulf of Mexico hits next week, and you might wonder what Congress had done about it. Pretty much nothing as it turns out, Politico reports.

Partisan politics caused paralysis last year. Democrats wanted to use the tragedy as impetus to pass broader energy legislation, while Republicans and Gulf state lawmakers sought to overturn the ban on deepwater drilling.

Congressmen continue to argue over the issue, with a big energy bill unlikely this year. Many of those in the Gulf states want to see the fines imposed on BP used to fund restoration of the coastline. Others want to make sure that offshore drilling continues and grows.