Biden: GOP criticism of BP compensation fund ‘insensitive,’ ‘out of touch’ and ‘outrageous’

Biden calls GOP criticism of BP fund ‘outrageous’

WASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden says it’s “outrageous,” ”astounding” and “incredibly out of touch” for a GOP congressman to criticize the White House for demanding a BP victims’ compensation fund.

Biden responded Thursday to comments made by Texas Republican Joe Barton at a House hearing earlier in the day.

Barton, an oil industry ally, said he was “ashamed of what happened” and accused the White House of conducting a “$20 billion shakedown” by requiring BP to establish the fund to compensate those hurt by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Biden said Barton’s comments were “incredibly insensitive, incredibly out of touch.”