Texas Rep. Joe Barton Apologizes To BP For 'Shakedown', BP CEO 'Doesn't Know'

Chastened by heavy criticism, a grim-faced BP chief executive Tony Hayward insisted Thursday he was "devastated with this accident" in the Gulf of Mexico and denied shunning tough questions from Congress on the nation's worst oil spill.

"I'm not stonewalling," Hayward told a House investigations subcommittee, responding to repeated suggestions that he was dodging questions.

Hayward said he was "deeply sorry" for the spill gushing now for more than eight weeks. "I understand the seriousness of the situation, the frustrations and fears that continue to be voiced," he said.

Even before he began testifying, Hayward had to endure more than an hour of mostly unrelenting criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike.

"We are not small people, but we wish to get our lives back," Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., the subcommittee chairman, told Hayward, throwing back at the oil giant comments made the day before by BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg — about how BP sympathized with the "small people" of the Gulf — and Hayward's earlier remark that he wanted his "life back."

Later, Hayward appeared unflappable during a tense exchange with Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chairman of the full House Energy and Commerce Committee. Speaking slowly and calmly in his clipped British accent, he sought to deflect accusations — based on internal BP documents obtained by congressional investigators — that BP chose a particular well design that was riskier but cheaper by $7 million to $10 million.

Hayward repeatedly said that he didn't make those design choices as CEO. "I'm not stonewalling. I simply was not involved in the decision-making process," Hayward told Waxman, adding that the well's engineering team clearly grappled with such issues.

"What's clear to me," Waxman interrupted, "is that you don't want to answer our questions."

"You're not taking responsibility," the congressman added. "You're kicking the can down the road and acting like you have nothing to do with ... this company. I find that irresponsible."

Waxman told the BP executive that in his committee's review of 30,000 items, there was "not a single e-mail or document that you paid even the slightest attention to the dangers at this well."

A day after BP agreed to pay for a $20 billion victims' compensation fund, Hayward said under oath to lawmakers that "I feel a great deal of responsibility" for the April explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that triggered the giant spill.

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[TakeBackAmerica2012]

The real story behind the BP explosion (s) has yet to be told but you can find it on the internet. If you want to believe corporate america would ever tell you the truth about anything go ahead. Why did a popular NBC newscaster suddenly up and leave her job and leave Houston just days before the 2005 BP Texas City explosion??? The government, big business and big media lie to us about just about everything. BP explosions were just practice drills, believe me.

[worldofdancetheater]

I hope they had at least threatened his life and the life of his wife and kids to justify this under the tail swine ass-kissing cowardly belly up embarrassing act of waste of skin and less than nothingness. In a man course I give him an F for Fracking idiot.

[kaox44]

Tea Beggars support this shit face.

[joshuag5732]

DOn't forget to Twitter this and send it to Facebook and myspace. Email it to your friends!!! VOTE DEMOCRAT!!!

[ajaj82]

Can't agree more. And the fact that is was actually American companies behind the disaster. Classic America, putting the blame on someone else (this time being Britian even though they didn't do a thing).

[danteharris268]

this guy is pure evil i cant beleive this guy is protecting bp..wtf....WTF

[Skyman46]

Joe Barton is a gay boy and want's it from Tony Hayward and BP...wants it up his fat ass so bad.

[usernametaken1932]

@Whistlejocket you should first shoot the liberal enviromentalist for force these companies offshore. there not drilling a mile below the surface of the gulf because they want to

[onemanband1963]

Fuck Joe Barton!

[skittlecrack12]

@Whistlejocket where did socialism come in to this? im saying that the rig did not explode just because the inspectors,they didint build the rig,dont get me wrong they are at fault but so are the people who set up the questionable safety device