To be fair to the Republicans, they did rake in Big Oil donations so they need to protect their leading donors. The "party of no" lives another day.
Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the top Republican on the Environmental and Public Works committee, blocked a request offered by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to pass the bill, which would raise corporations' liability caps from $75 million to $10 billion.
“I agree with President Obama that our top priority is to contain and mitigate the spill,” Inhofe said. “I also agree with President Obama that BP should pay for the cleanup, and that it’s too early to decide what the appropriate federal liability cap should be.”
While Democrats still are searching a way to attach this proposal to an existing bill, Menendez says Democrats will continue to offer up the legislation on the floor, if only to force Republicans to say "no" to an popular initiative. Democrats are also discussing whether to attach the liability proposal to a must-pass tax extenders bill.
