The US House of Representatives voted Wednesday to give a special commission investigating the disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil spill the power to subpoena documents and witnesses.
Lawmakers approved the measure — which must also clear the Senate before it can go to President Barack Obama to sign into law — by a 420-1 vote more than two months after blast that triggered the catastrophe.
The number three House Democrat, Representative James Clyburn, said giving the commissioners subpoena power "will ensure that they cannot be stonewalled by BP in the search for answers, and guarantee that they can receive testimony from crucial experts and witnesses."
President Barack Obama created the bipartisan commission in late May by executive order, seeking answers on what caused the disaster and advice on how to prevent such calamities in the future.
Obama gave the commission, headed by former Democratic US senator and Florida governor Bob Graham and former Environmental Protection Agency chief William Reilly, a Republican, six months to report its findings and recommendations for the future of offshore drilling.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
