WASHINGTON. D.C. – House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Member Darrell Issa (R-CA) released the following statement today regarding President Obama’s comments regarding the Department of Minerals and Management Service (MMS):

“The President today acknowledged what has been obvious but ignored for many years – MMS has been agency in crisis for the better part of the past three administrations.  All anyone has to do to categorize MMS’s extensive history of corruption and dysfunction is examine any of the 18 reports compiled by the GAO and Inspectors General throughout the last ten years.

“I agree with the President that this crisis should not be used as means to further any political showboating which is why I am committed to conducting a thorough and nonpartisan examination of the Interior Department and MMS.  Senior officials will need to answer tough questions about what appears to be just another example of failed oversight and systemic unaccountability.  I have asked Secretary Salazar to provide critical information to my Committee that will hopefully shed light on the failures leading to this disaster.

“The President’s efforts should represent a first step in what must be a comprehensive effort that will address the entirety of the bureaucratic breakdown at Interior.  Working together, we can incorporate the best of all ideas and recognize the problems at Interior and MMS stretch far beyond the Deepwater Horizon incident.”

Last October, Issa introduced H.R. 3736, which would strip the Department of the Interior of its management responsibilities for the Minerals Management Service (MMS) and make the troubled collector of oil, mineral, and natural gas revenues an independent agency.  The case for the legislation is made in an Oversight and Government Reform Committee Republican staff report, which concludes MMS will benefit from a divorce from the Department of the Interior and the creation of dedicated funding, a new management structure, and leadership focused on MMS’ unique role in collecting royalties owed to the American people.

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