If you or I were to walk into a neighbor's yard and douse their grass with motor oil, a court would hold us personally liable for the full cleanup costs.  But under current law, Big Oil companies receive special legal immunity when their offshore oil spills cause economic and environmental havoc.

Oil companies cannot be held legally liable for costs in excess of $75 million – a tiny fraction of the potential damage from a major oil spill.  To put that amount in perspective, the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 is expected to cost more than $40 billion as damages continue to mount to our coastal environment and economy.

Last week, the Obama Administration proposed a new rule increasing the current liability cap to $134 million, the maximum increase that may be implemented without legislation.

Together with Sen. Menendez, I have introduced legislation, the Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act, which would abolish the liability cap for offshore oil spills, and I am continuing to work to block any and all offshore drilling off the Atlantic coast.  Nearly four years have already passed since the BP disaster.  Should Congress wait longer?

Announcing the First App Contest for Students

Do you know a Central New Jersey high school student who designs apps for the Mac, Windows, or Android platform – or has always wanted to learn to do so?  I am pleased to announce the first-ever U.S. House of Representatives App Contest.  I invite applications from Central New Jersey.

The Central New Jersey App Contest is open to all high school students in the 12th District. Students entering the competition must submit their app’s source code online by 11:59 PM EDT on April 30, 2014, and must provide a YouTube or VIMEO video demonstrating their app and describing what they learned through this competition process.  The app should help improve communication between citizens and government agencies or elected officials.  Further details, including how to register and how submissions will be judged, are available on my website.

Understanding Your Social Security Benefits

Even as we shore up Social Security for generations ahead, the Social Security Administration is working to make your Social Security benefits as accessible as possible today.

Did you know that many day-to-day transactions with the Social Security Administration can be completed online?  You can apply online for retirement benefits, survivor's benefits, or Medicare.   If you aren’t yet ready to apply for benefits, you can estimate your retirement benefits or create a My Social Security account to view your earnings history online.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress