Congressional leaders press BP to do more as Obama plans to meet with victim relatives

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Congressional leader press BP to do more

WASHINGTON — Democratic congressional leaders are stepping up the pressure on oil giant BP to fully compensate economic victims of the Gulf oil spill as President Barack Obama prepares to offer condolences to the relatives of the 11 rig workers killed in the explosion.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says “every taxpayer in America must know that BP will be held accountable for what is owed.” She spoke at the White House after Obama met with congressional leaders of both parties.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky agreed BP has to “clean up the spill.” But he says Democratic lawmakers shouldn’t use the tragedy to try to build support for an energy bill.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is offering condolences to relatives of the 11 workers who were killed when an oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, causing the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history.

Obama wrote to the families and invited them to visit the White House on Thursday.

Spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama also wants to hear the families’ thoughts on changes the government can make to ensure that future deepwater oil drilling is safe. Obama put a temporary halt to such drilling after the April 20 explosion off Louisiana’s coast.

Asked whether Obama thought the families of the 11 men had been lost in the focus on efforts to stop the millions of gallons of crude that have been gushing from the broken underwater well, Gibbs said, “They are certainly not forgotten.”

“They were the very first victims of what is a very long and sad tragedy,” he said Wednesday.

Their bodies never were recovered.

The president’s private meeting with the families in the State Dining Room is part of his effort to show the public, unhappy with the handling of the catastrophe by the government and the well owner, BP PLC, that he is on top of the situation.

Obama met Monday with Cabinet officials involved in the oil spill response and reiterated his earlier warning to the British oil company to not be “nickel-and-diming” business owners who are losing income because of the spill.

Obama has visited the Louisiana coast three times since the explosion, including stops last Friday and on May 28. He plans to return Monday and Tuesday for a trip that will take him to affected areas in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.