U.S. President Barack Obama has said he shared Gulf Coast residents' anger about a spreading oil spill and its consequences on the environment.
"There's an oil leak and we need to stop it and we need to stop it as soon as possible," Obama said.
Thousands of barrels of oil have spilled since an oil rig exploded April 20 and sank in the Gulf of Mexico.
"I saw firsthand the anger and the frustration (of Gulf Coast residents)," Obama said after meeting with Cabinet members and senior staff members. "It is an anger and a frustration I share as president."
Obama said 1 million feet of barrier boom and hundreds of gallons of dispersant materials were distributed and 13,000 people were mobilized to
protect the shores and wildlife along the Gulf Coast.
The president called on Congress to pass a bill that would help fund the cleanup, provide unemployment assistance and help in the region's economic recovery. The measure also would ensure companies responsible for spills pay for their cleanup "and not the taxpayers."
Obama denounced as a "ridiculous spectacle" testimony during congressional hearings this week by Lamar McKay, president and chairman of BP America Inc.; Steven Newman, president and chief executive officer of Transocean Limited; and Tim Probert, president of Global Business Lines and chief health, safety and environmental officer at Halliburton.
The company officials, Obama said, "pointed the finger of blame at somebody else," which he said he and the American people "did not appreciate."
Recognizing there are legal and financial issues involved, Obama said, "It is pretty clear that the system failed and it failed badly ... (and) all parties should be willing to accept it."
Obama included the federal government as one of the responsible parties.
"For too long there's been a cozy relationship" between the oil companies and the federal regulators, Obama said. "This cannot, and it will not, happen anymore."
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar this week announced plans to separate its inspection duties from its oil and gas royalties and collection
responsibilities to eliminate any real or perceived conflict of interest.
BP shares Obama's "sense of urgency" over the length of time it is taking to clean up the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, BP Group Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward said in response to the president's comments.
"We absolutely understand and share President Obama's sense of urgency over the length of time this complex task is taking," Hayward said in a
statement. "We want to thank the President and his administration for their ongoing engagement in this effort."
The oil company is focused on "doing everything in our power" to stop the flow, clean it up and protect the shoreline, Hayward said.
While not directly commenting on the "finger-pointing" remark, Hayward said BP is "participating fully in investigations that will provide valuable lessons about how to prevent future incidents of this nature."