White House wants to double amount collected for inspections of offshore oil and gas rigs

Obama wants big increase in offshore inspections

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration wants Congress to approve $80 million in new spending for the agency that oversees offshore drilling.

He says his plan can be paid for by doubling the amount of money the government collects for inspections of offshore oil and gas operations.

In a letter to congressional leaders, the White House budget office says the money is needed to strengthen oversight of offshore oil and gas operations, reorganize the agency formerly known as the Minerals Management Service and better respond to catastrophic oil spills such as the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Congress recently approved $29 million in emergency spending to hire hundreds of new offshore drilling inspectors.