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Rick's List
President Obama Meets With BP; New U.S. Sanctions Against Iran
Aired June 16, 2010 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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T.J. HOLMES: CNN, ANCHOR: --Became as well the first African country to win a World Cup game on African soil. More than just Ghana celebrated. The continent celebrated. While so many others out there of course and rightfully so, notably so playing for pride and bragging rights. African nations, sometimes are playing for a whole lot more. That's your "XYZ" today I'm T.J. in for Ali. "RICK'S LIST" right now, but it's Don today. Take it away.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Ah, thank you very much T.J. Always good see you. You know it's interesting that we're learning about all of this on day 58. Probably within the last 20 minutes, we have learned more about this oil spill, more transparency than we have over the entire time.
Why didn't this happen on day five or 10 or 15 or 20? BP meets the president and says it will not pay any more dividends this year. And here's what else is making the LIST today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON (voice-over): Here's what is making the LIST today.
A police officer punches a teenage girl in the face after a jaywalking incident. He says he was provoked. It's all caught on camera.
He spent three days trapped under a furnace. He even tried to cut off his own arm to escape.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The pain became absolutely too much to continue.
LEMON: You will hear more of his traumatizing experience.
The White House showdown with BP executives. Will face time with the president change anything?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He took the issue at hand and then he transitioned it over here into our addiction to fossil fuels.
LEMON: You're still talking about last night's speech turned sermon.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We pray for the people of the Gulf.
LEMON: The lists you need to know about. Plus, who's today's most intriguing? Who's making news on Twitter? It's why we keep a list, pioneering tomorrow's news right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: OK, everyone.
And topping the LIST right now: day 58 of this oil disaster. The president summons BP to the White House. He demands that they set up an individual escrow account for all legitimate claims to be paid out, as they say, in a timely manner. BP complies, agreeing to put roughly $20 billion in that account.
The president spoke of the meeting about 30 minutes ago. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Currently, under federal law, there is a $75 million cap on how much oil companies could, under certain circumstances, be required to pay for economic damages resulting from a spill such as this.
That amount obviously would be insufficient. And that's why I'm pleased to announce that BP has agreed to set aside $20 billion to pay claims for damages resulting from this spill. This $20 billion will provide substantial assurance that the claims people and businesses have will be honored.
It's also important to emphasize this is not a cap. The people of the Gulf have my commitment that BP will meet its obligations to them. And BP has publicly pledged to make good on the claims that it owes to the people in the Gulf.
And so the agreement we've reached sets up a financial and legal framework to do it.
Another important element is that this $20 billion fund will not be controlled by either BP or by the government. It will be put in an escrow account administered by an impartial, independent third party.
So if you or your business has suffered an economic loss as a result of this spill, you'll be eligible to file a claim for part of this $20 billion.
This fund doesn't supersede either individuals' rights or states' rights to present claims in court. And BP will also continue to be liable for the environmental disaster it has caused. And we're going to continue to work to make sure that they address it.
Additionally, BP voluntarily agreed to establish an $100 million fund to compensate unemployed oil rig workers affected by the closure of the deepwater rigs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK, so that was the president speaking out about, oh, I guess about 25 minutes ago, about 25, 30 minutes ago. Shortly after that, the chairman of BP -- his name is Carl-Henric Svanberg -- Svanberg -- he came out and spoke as well, as I said, the first time we have gotten so much transparency about this story. Here's the chairman of BP.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARL-HENRIC SVANBERG, CHAIRMAN, BP: The BP board has today decided that we will not pay any further dividends this -- this year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right, CNN's Suzanne Malveaux at the White House.
Suzanne, the president emphasized that $20 billion is not a cap. He says the account will be handled by an independent third party. The president says that stopping 90 percent of the oil is not enough, and BP also candidate that they will now (sic) pay out dividends.
OK, that -- that is a lot there. But, listen, this was delayed. That meeting, Suzanne, seemed to go on for longer than expected. At first, it was supposed to be maybe 1:30, 2:00. And then it got pushed back. So, does that say anything here?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: There are a couple things, Don, that we know happened behind the scenes inside of the meeting, according to several people who were involved in negotiations.
First, you should know that -- that the negotiations, the agreement was already kind of preliminary -- preliminary out there, that they knew they were going to go in and, that they were going to come up with some sort of escrow account, the fund.
There are a couple of things that they have to negotiate and work out. They knew it was going to be around that $20 billion mark. That is exactly right. It was $20 billion is what they settled on. But one of the things that they were looking at who was going to be that third party that would handle the claims and actually dividing that money, figuring out who gets it, they decided officially that it would be Ken Feinberg of the -- the one who gave out the money for the 9/11 victims.
That was something that had to be worked out. But the other thing and the main issue here was the idea that this $20 billion, that's not the end-all and be-all of this. If there are more claims, if there are more damages, if this is a lot worse than we ever suspect, then this $20 billion could turn to $40 billion, $60 billion.
The administration is making it very clear that this could simply be a down payment on this. And that was the issue that BP officials were really -- it was a contentious situation at times, when they were talking about what that $20 billion means. Now, we had a chance to try to at least ask some questions of the BP chair, as you saw there, at the stakeout camera. He did not answer that question. It was one that was put to him, about three different reporters saying, is this a cap? Do you agree to this?
According to the White House, that is the agreement. So, it does leave it open-ended in terms of filing claims and damages, that type of thing. That was one of the reasons why, Don, that this continued as long as it did.
LEMON: Yes, all of that to be sorted out later. And we will get to the bottom of it. Suzanne Malveaux standing by at the White House, thank you very much.
And mentioning the White House, the White House briefing with Robert Gibbs about to get under way at any moment now. And we will monitor that for any news that comes out of it. I'm sure he will be peppered with questions about the president's meeting with BP officials.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNA JUAREZ, NEIGHBOR OF GARY BROOKS FAULKNER: He's going to get Osama. He's going to get him and he's going to bring him back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK. So that woman is a neighbor of the man who went on a manhunt for Osama bin Laden. What else does she say? That is next on the list.
And a co-pilot gets sick and a flight attendant steps into action. Well, how does it all end? Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK. We have some breaking news.
We told you, if there was any information coming out of the White House briefing, we would get back to it. We're going to get back now, because you see Timothy Geithner there -- he's the treasury secretary -- talking about sanctions against Iran. Let's listen in.
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TIMOTHY GEITHNER, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: Third, we are adding two individuals and four entities that are part of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, which, as you know, plays a key role in Iran's missile programs and its support for terrorism.
Fourth, we are adding two individuals and two entities that are actively involved in Iran's nuclear or missile programs.
And finally, we are identifying 22 petroleum, energy and insurance companies located inside and outside Iran which are owned or controlled by the Iranian government. Now, shortly Stuart Levey, who is Treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, is going to walk you through the details of these actions. Stuart Levey, as you know, has been the chief architect of our strategy to impose growing financial costs on Iran for its continued defiance and he has played a major leadership role on this issue internationally.
In the coming weeks, we will continue to increase the financial pressure on Iran. We will continue to target Iran's support for terrorist organizations. We will continue to focus on Iran's Revolutionary Guard. We will continue to expose Iran's efforts to evade international sanctions.
Now, to be truly effective in ending Iran's proliferation activities and Iran's support for terrorism, we need to have in place a concerted international approach. This is not something the United States can do alone. We need other countries to move with us.
So alongside our efforts in the U.N. to build international support for sanctions, we have been working behind the scenes building support among finance ministries for additional actions to prevent abuse of the global financial system by Iran.
We expect to see additional actions announced by other governments soon.
LEMON: All right, this is big, everyone. That is the treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, there announcing new sanctions against Iran, expanding U.S. sanctions on Iran over its suspect nuclear program. And they're talking about additional companies. They're going to hit additional companies and identify them with more penalties.
He's giving the details there in the press room. Usually, Robert Gibbs holds his press conference. Robert Gibbs brought in Timothy Geithner, big news that we will follow here, new sanctions against Iran, U.S.-led sanctions. More to come today on RICK'S LIST, but we will scroll on right now and continue to check in with that.
A story that is getting a lot of attention makes our follow-up list today. It's been 24 hours since this show told you about the American on a one-man mission to capture Osama bin Laden, but was arrested by Pakistani police near the Afghan border.
Well, today, we have more information to tell you about Gary Brooks Faulkner, Gary Brooks Faulkner and his lone quest to take down the world's most wanted man with a sword, a pistol, night-vision goggles, and Christian reading material.
Today, we learned from Faulkner's brother that the Pakistani government has moved Gary Brooks Faulkner to Islamabad. Also new today, a Pakistani doctor says the Colorado construction worker has psychological problems. You heard Faulkner's brother deny that right here yesterday.
Listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SCOTT FAULKNER, BROTHER OF MAN DETAINED IN PAKISTAN: He's not psychotic. He's not schizophrenic. He doesn't hear voices. He's a very passionate person.
And most people go through their lives without passion. They don't have something that they truly believe in and would give up everything in their life for.
Is this my passion? Absolutely not. But is it my brother's? It is. And, as an American, he's doing something that we would all wish to do. If we saw Osama walking down the sidewalk, you and I -- well, I know I would probably put a bullet in the guy's head.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK. Passion.
Now listen to Faulkner's Colorado neighbor, who is a true believer in this guy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUAREZ: He's going to get Osama. He's going to get him, and he's going to bring him back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right, so what does she base that belief on? Well, let her tell you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUAREZ: He's determined, and he's -- he goes every year. And he said he wants to go, and he doesn't want to kill him or anything like that. He wants to get him alive and bring him back to America.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you think about that?
(CROSSTALK)
JUAREZ: I think -- I think he can do it. I mean, I have confidence in him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK, but is a man from Colorado really equipped to take down Osama bin Laden? I mean, this is the world's most wanted man, who has evaded capture since 9/11.
Former CIA covert ops officer Mike Baker told us yesterday Faulkner is lucky to be alive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MIKE BAKER, FORMER CIA COVERT OPERATIONS OFFICER: Who can speculate on what Faulkner's true state of mind or his intentions were? Frankly, he should be very happy that he was picked up and his family should be happy that he was picked up by the Pakistani authorities, because traipsing around, once he started heading towards Nuristan on the other side there, on -- on the Afghan side of that border, the outcome probably wasn't going to be good for -- for Faulkner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK. So, we now know that Faulkner has been in Pakistan at least six other times. He is 50 years old, with serious kidney problems which require dialysis. That's something he has in common with Osama bin Laden.
He has grown his hair and his beard, and he wears clothing in the style his brother says makes him look a lot like a Taliban. He's a devout Christian, and he has a long arrest record for burglary, theft, traffic violations and domestic violence.
But what makes this guy wage a one-man mission to find bin Laden? His brother says he became obsessed and believes the U.S. isn't trying hard enough to capture Osama bin Laden.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAULKNER: Is it outside of the norm for somebody like you and I? Yes. We're probably family men. I have a wife and kids that I have to look after. He doesn't.
So, is it out of the norm? Yes, it is. But is it crazy? No. OK, if he wore a uniform and he called himself special ops, would he be considered crazy? If he had a Green Beret on his uniform, would he be considered crazy? That's what the guys do. If he was a Navy SEAL, would he be considered crazy? No. They love adventure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Adventure, passion, or just plain crazy? You decide. And don't forget, there is a $25 million reward on bin Laden's head. What if he captures him? This guy would be a multimillionaire, and we will be sitting here going, huh, who knew.
OK. So, whatever it is, you can bet Gary Brooks Faulkner will be back on the LIST, and probably soon.
Ooh. Look at that video. And, if you didn't see it, we will show you again. That woman was jaywalking, and her friend tries to pull them apart, when the officer punches her. Is that called for? What do you think? That is ahead on the LIST.
And what are critics saying the about the president's speech last night, as a matter of fact, the president's speech today, and who are some of those critics? You might be surprised. She's not one of the critics. She's just analyzing it. Jessica Yellin has the inside scoop.
Jessica, we will talk to you after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK. So, judging from the reaction the president's Oval Office address last night got on that oil spill, it wasn't exactly really a bullseye.
Now, here's just a sampling for you. Pay close attention, because some of these people are supporters of the president. So, Senator Mary Landrieu complained that the speech was short on details. By the way, Landrieu is a Democrat. I said supporters of the president.
From the Republican side, RNC Chairman Michael Steele complained that the president tried to manipulate a national crisis for selfish political gain.
And then there's this from the editorial page of "The New York Times." It says, "Mr. Obama was less than frank about his administration's faltering efforts to manage this vast environmental and human disaster."
"Newsweek"'s Howard Fineman panned the speech as flat. Slate's John Dickerson said something was lacking.
So, we're not picking on the president here. That's what people are saying about this speech.
And our Jessica Yellin, she is our national correspondent, national political correspondent.
So, what are you hearing there? The reviews have been less than glowing from people who normally are on the president's side.
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Don. And I'm hearing the same thing from folks here in Washington.
And this is a bit of a different take. This is from administration officials who are actually working on the Gulf spill, on the administration's response to the spill.
And the one thing that they have to say is, there's a real sense of frustration with the White House. They say, look, the public knows the bad news, and we in the media keep talking about all the mess-ups that are happening. But here was the president's real opportunity to lay out everything that's going right, the army of tens of thousands of people, the thousands of boats that are there doing -- on standby, the coordination that's been mobilized.
And they feel like this was a missed opportunity. Also, he could have explained exactly why this was unprecedented and why they're having such a hard time wrestling this into control, again, a missed opportunity, in their view. Now, again, these are people who are working with the White House on responding to this. And the other piece of this is that there is some concern about this particular promise from the president. Let's listen, Don.
LEMON: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: We've directed BP to mobilize additional equipment and technology. And in the coming weeks and days, these efforts should capture up to 90 percent of the oil leaking out of the well. This is until the company finishes drilling a relief well later in the summer that's expected to stop the leak completely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YELLIN: Now, the president, I think, repeated that 90 percent will be captured in the next coming week statement again today.
But the folks I'm talking to, again, folks working on the spill response, think that that's dangerously optimistic, that the White House and the Energy Department explained to me that it's based on BP's analysis of what they can capture, plus the official tally of how much is flowing.
But, Don, you know, those numbers keep changing. And folks again concerned that he laid out a marker that they may not be able to meet.
LEMON: Yes.
YELLIN: So, even within the group responding, some real head- scratching...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Here's what's interesting. As you look at, and I have heard people say it -- I'm not a body language expert -- and as -- we're talking about people here who are analyzing the speech.
So, what I'm hearing is that the president didn't look comfortable, Jessica, and that he may have by -- at the end of the speech, when he said, let's pray for the people of Louisiana, it made it seem like there's really nothing that we can do, barring some miracle or divine intervention, in order to help the people down there and to stop it, and in a way, he gave away his power as a commander in chief.
YELLIN: Interesting. You know, he -- it was -- it's not his most comfortable setting, for so many reasons, one, the obvious fact that you can't compete with that image of oil gushing into the water. It just screams powerlessness, no matter what he says, obviously hard to get control of the story when the story keeps changing.
But the other thing that goes to your point, Don, is this raises all those -- it runs counter to the issues he campaigned on. He campaigned on changing the culture of Washington, even changing our indulgent society.
LEMON: Transparency, yes.
YELLIN: But then he came out -- transparency, and also our demand for oil, right? He promised to move to an alternative energy future.
But he came out for offshore drilling. You have got to wonder if he didn't do that just to win Republican support for his energy bill. And, so, he's not that clean in all this, in a sense. He can't rise above it all, say, I opposed offshore drilling, this is proof it was wrong, and now I'm going to bring you into a cleaner future.
And it does seem that he feels like he loses his footing when he feels compromised.
LEMON: Oh, boy. OK. I just -- it's been very interesting to watch people who -- as we say, who normally support the president come out and criticize him. We shall see.
But we -- here's what all Americans want. We want it to get plugged, right?
YELLIN: Right.
LEMON: Everyone wants that. And -- and we want it to get plugged and we want the people in the Gulf to -- to be well. So, let's hope the president can get it together and the officials at BP.
Keep on...
(CROSSTALK)
YELLIN: And they are working hard.
LEMON: Yes, they are working hard.
So, Jessica, thank you very much. Always appreciate you here on RICK'S LIST and on CNN. See you soon.
(CROSSTALK)
YELLIN: Same.
LEMON: OK, that was supposed to be a concert, right? So, what caused this New York City crowd to go wild? That is ahead here on the LIST.
And she helped land a plane with 225 passengers after one of the pilots got sick. Can you imagine that. Now she is landing in our list of most intriguing person in the news. That's coming up next. Who is she?
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LEMON: OK. Welcome back, everyone. Rick's off. I'm Don Lemon. A flight attendant who really earned her wings is on our list of most intriguing person in the news today. Look.
All right, so her job has kept her in the air for more than 30 years. She's comfortable keeping hundreds of passengers and crews safe and comfortable on a daily basis. She got a commercial pilot certificate, but it's no longer current, and she only has 300 hours of piloting experiences.
And, despite that, she helped land American Airlines Flight 1612 on a trip from San Francisco to Chicago this week. Here we go. Today's most intriguing person of the day is Patti DeLuna, the American Airlines flight attendant. She says she was the best available backup pilot they had.
She took over the co-pilot's duties when he got sick on Monday and helped land a 767 at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. DeLuna is most intriguing and will be joining us next this hour to talk about her experiences. Stick around.
Oh, watch this. Look at that. Ooh! That woman was jaywalking, and look at them go. The officer punches a teenager. Was he provoked? What do you think? That is ahead.
And you know what? You're probably a fan of scooters, a lot of you. I'm a fan of scooters -- on the ground, that is. But now I have heard it all. What about an underwater scooter? And they're racing them. That's ahead in "Fotos."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: OK, so we told you at the White House when they were holding that briefing that they would be peppered -- Robert Gibbs, I know you see Admiral Thad Allen -- with questions about BP and the meeting. Let's listen in now.
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: -- we have to reduce the cycle time, our ability to respond. We have to put leadership close tore the states and the ability to make decisions out there and put assets on target as soon as we can quicker.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Following up on the $100 million, you had been saying before -- it sounds like they're being put into a different category with a limited amount of money. Are they not going to be treated as well as they would have if they would have applied just like everybody else for the $20 billion?
CAROL BROWNER, OFFICE OF ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE: I think there were some concerns about under the law their ability to participate in the other funding. We wanted to make sure there were mechanisms to address their needs. And so the $100 million voluntary contribution by BP and the work that we're doing in Congress we think is a significant step towards meeting their needs.
GIBBS: I would say this. You heard the president say this in the Gulf probably more than a week ago and reiterated in his speech last night, that he understands the economic impact of the deepwater drilling moratorium, understanding that we do not yet know what caused the accident.
And because of that, the president believes it was important to pause additional deepwater drilling, but has asked the national commission that will look into the regulatory framework that we must have going forward to ensure drilling is safe that they can and should look at the framework around deepwater drilling first and report back to him as soon as they can. They do not have to wait for any set period of time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But it sounds like they're now kind of in a second class, having to rely on the separate funding. You say going to Congress. That's taxpayer money. Instead of -- it sounds like taxpayers are going to be paying for some portion of this.
BROWNER: It's for the unemployment insurance portion. That's what we're asking Congress -- some of the workers apparently would qualify under existing laws. Some might not. So we're seeking to make sure that all of them qualify, and now there's this additional fund that's been created.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Knowing Feinberg, he's got to set standards and there's a lot of bureaucracy and setting up an operation here. How quickly will he actually start handing money out to people?
BROWNER: It's important to understand, people can continue to file claims. This will be a seamless transition. As Feinberg's operation comes up, they will be shifted over. But there are areas of claims processed today. We all realize it's not working the way we want it to work. That's why we reached this agreement.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What they're getting a drop in the bucket compared to what --
BROWNER: That's why we did this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When will they be getting the --
GIBBS: We set this up as quickly as he can and humanly possible. I think picking him and somebody who has done this before understands, as you said, the bureaucracy and the standards that have to take place.
I do think it is important to reiterate what Carol said, which is if you were to file a game yesterday or today, you still fall within a 90-day window to have that claim adjudicated. That will continue to be the case.
We believe that this will be handed off in a seamless way and that we now have additional backstops to ensure that claims are not just heard independently but the appeals process beyond Ken Feinberg to a three-judge panel and ultimately retaining their right under federal law if they're unsatisfied with even what the three-judge panel rules, that they can visit federal court. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are people with mortgage payments, boat payment, families to feed. If they don't get the money in a week or two, they could be looking at --
GIBBS: Again, we are moving as expeditiously and as quickly as we humanly can.
BROWNER: And there are claims being honored. And we can get the numbers. They are reported on a regular basis.
GIBBS: I think BP did a claims call yesterday.
BROWNER: We have the numbers. So we can get you the numbers of the number of claims that have been responded to. But it's important for people to go into that process if they have a claim today, they will be moved over as this system is stood up.
It's also important to understand that under -- if the federal government adjudicates the claims, that we make a one-time payment. Under this, people will be able to apply over and over again as is necessary. So it won't be just a one-time payment.
GIBBS: In other words, if you're a fisherman in Grand Isle, you don't have to estimate, because I'm not sure anybody knows how long the Gulf is going to be closed. You don't have to extrapolate 12 or 24 months in advance and come up with the paperwork. You can file a claim now.
If you're still not able to fish sufficiently two months from now because there's still restrictions on fishing in certain parts of the gulf, you can re-file until you're made whole. That's a different process than if the -- as Carol said, if the federal government ran it, it's a one-time deal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But if I'm a fisherman and my boat payment is due in two or three weeks, am I going to get it, or is that just out of the question?
GIBBS: You will have your claim heard under the current process and seamlessly moved over to a new independent process that we think gives the certainty of the funding as well as the independence of a third party.
ADM. THAD ALLEN, NATIONAL INCIDENT COMMAND: This is the overall summary. We can give you a more detailed breakdown if you wish. As of this morning, there were 66 -- over 66,000 claims filed, disbursed was over $81 million. And checks cut, 26,000. So those are the overall order of magnitude numbers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Define dissatisfied claimants. Is that people that receive money and in hindsight feel like it wasn't fair? Define dissatisfied claimants.
BROWNER: Let's define how the current system works and how it will work. Right now, if you file a claim under the current system and you are dissatisfied with that claim, you have the right to go to the federal trust fund, the oil spill liability trust fund, or to go to court.
What this sets up is you can file a claim, Mr. Feinberg will determine whether or not your claim should be paid, how much should be paid. At that moment, you can take it. Two months later, if you're still not working, you can come back --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: BP is legally bound to pay that?
BROWNER: They're legally bound to pay it.
If you don't like what Mr. Feinberg decides, you can go to a three-person panel and have that reviewed. At the end of that panel, you can take that.
If you still don't like that -- if you're dissatisfied, what you do -- if you don't like what Feinberg does, you go to the three-person panel. If you don't like what the three-person panel does, you then have a choice. You can go to the federal trust fund, the oil spill liability trust fund, or you can into go into court.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't take the money and be dissatisfied and then --
BROWNER: But the big thing here is you will get a much more -- you'll get a quicker answer, and you can file over and over again, because that is a real --
GIBBS: It's also important to understand the 90-day process, the three-person review panel is within the 90-day process.
BROWNER: It all has to be done.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did you guys agree -- can you share with us the details of -- what is the procedure to go back to BP and say, $20 billion isn't enough?
Is there a specific procedure you guys agreed upon if you need to go back and say, we need more money. Is there a specific procedure you guys agreed upon?
BROWNER: BP retains all of its liability. Nothing in that has changed. So if there wasn't money available, let's say, you can go right back -- you could go straight to BP and say I have this claim.
So all of the rights of the claimants have been preserved. Right now, this new escrow account, this new claims facility will stand in its place. But if for some reason there wasn't money in that, you have all of your rights to go right back at BP and ask for the payment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that's the -- OK, last night's speech --
BROWNER: The only people who have limited their rights here is BP. I think that's really, really important to understand.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you accept the money, you have limited -- BROWNER: That was true under the existing situation. We're giving you a better scenario now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last night's speech, the president talked about energy legislation, specifically talked about pricing carbon, cap and trade, et cetera., Is it -- what is the president's -- does he -- will he accept a bill out of the U.S. Senate that doesn't have this? Can you just walk us through that?
GIBBS: Let me just say this. You've heard the president for three and a half years now talk about his approach to comprehensive energy reform. I don't think he's -- I don't think that's been unclear. He reiterated a call last night and said that the greatest price we pay is the price of inaction.
This morning the president spoke with Senator Kerry and with Senator Lugar, each of whom have energy legislation that the Senate is likely to take up in the next several weeks. We announced that next Wednesday we'll have a bipartisan group of senators to the White House to discuss the process that the Senate will use moving forward.
I think it is safe to say that the president's direction on energy is very similar to the direction that is in the Kerry-Lieberman bill and that the president feels strongly that including a component to deal with climate is important in comprehensive energy reform.
Now, let me just say this. There are a number of proposals. That's why Senator Lugar and Senator Kerry both got calls. There have been ideas about increasing energy efficiency standards in buildings much as Carol has worked tirelessly to with cars and trucks.
The president met with business executives of the White House last week, which one of their questions was why more money isn't spent on R&D when they're spending a ton of money on R&D.
There are a lot of ways to get to this. The president's going to have a meeting next week here to work through that process going forward.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Comparisons to the public option -- something the president supported the public option but he got 90 percent of what he wanted and he'd rather sign that.
GIBBS: I don't know why at this point it would be pertinent to get into hypotheticals. I think the president -- go back to what he said at Pittsburgh a week and a half ago. Go back to what he said in 2006 as a U.S. senator. I think his position on how to approach our energy policy comprehensively is fairly well known.
Yes, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two questions. One is, what is BP getting as a result of this agreement? Are they getting any agreement that they won't be found negligent at all?
And then, you said BP would fund the fund with U.S. assets. So is it not cash --
BROWNER: They will make payments over a four-year period of $5 billion a year. But they will provide assurance for those commitments by setting aside $20 billion in U.S. assets. It's like an insurance policy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over?
BROWNER: It's not 20 and 20. They've committed to $20 billion. But we will have -- I want to use the right legal word here -- that they will provide assurance by setting aside assets. So as the fund grows up -- as the fund grows in size, the assets could be reduced. It's an insurance policy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is BP getting out of this agreement?
GIBBS: Ask BP. They may have -- I think they'd have a better way of reading out what they did and why they did this.
I think the president's objectives in this were clear. This provides certainty and peace of mind for those in the Gulf. If there was any wonder or concern that they would not be made whole for the disaster they didn't cause, that assurance we have today.
And I think -- Carol mentioned this briefly -- that story that the president spoke of with the chair at the end of their meeting in the Oval Office was that when the president asked the chairman, when they're talking about what's happening in the Gulf, when they're talking and discussing these parameters with the board and with other executives, it's the people that he's met in his four trips.
The people in Grand Isle, the people in Pensacola, the people in Dauphin Island, who for four generations have fished on these waters to make a living, who have invested their hard-earned money and their sweat in building their business, those are the people that the president has been focused on throughout this process, and he believes that that's what BP should be focused on as they're discussing things.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Robert, on that point, is there a danger President Obama is over-promising when he says, we'll make you whole and make the Gulf coast even better than it was before? People's lives have been changed, and it looks like it's going to get worse a long time before it gets better.
GIBBS: And the responsible party has committed today through an escrow account that starts at $20 billion to make them whole. Mark, if you're a fisherman or you're a shrimper and your livelihood has been changed because in what would traditionally be the heart of the season where you made almost all your income, you'll be compensated for that.
We've set in place a process that provides independence from the company that caused that disaster with the assurance that the funding will be there. That's important. In terms of Gulf coast restoration, the president was concerned about the region environmentally long before this disaster. And whether it was manmade or natural disaster, Katrina coming to mind, that has seen the wetlands and the marsh erode and become degraded for many, many years, this president believes that we have an obligation to return that valuable eco system and environment to a place better than it was before this accident happened.
BP, as Carol said, is liable for the environmental degradation through natural resource damage assessments. Those will be assessed and that bill will be provided to BP. And I believe the basis of that will help restore the environmental vitality of that region.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are we right in assuming based on what President Obama said today that no ass-kicking was required at today's sessions?
GIBBS: Again, I think the president was clear about what he thought BP was responsible for and obligated to do. We came with that in mind and left importantly with an agreement that is substantive, providing the assuring providing the independence, providing the funding that I'm sure people in the Gulf went to bed last night wondering whether that was going to be possible.
LEMON: And that is Press Secretary Robert Gibbs there. It's a real who's who at the press briefing today. Earlier you saw Timothy Geithner, the Treasury Secretary, and Carol Browner is there, the Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy is there as well. And you saw Admiral Thad Allen at this.
They're kind of belaboring the point a little bit to find out exactly what all this $20 billion is going to go to folks down south who have legitimate claims, as they say. But the president did talk about it.
Again they're belaboring the point a little but I think it's important to get to specific on it because the president said this fund will not supersede individuals' or states' rights to present claims in court. So they're talking about how the money is going to be disbursed and if this, in some way supersedes them filing other claims. Is this the last of is this the last once they file?
Lots to be worked out here, but it appears according to the folks in the press briefing that is not going to going happen. What did this last, some ten minutes-- five, ten minutes we had it here. Wonder how much oil has been gushing out? You see it there, live no one knows for sure, but a whole heck of a lot while they're getting their acts together.
Almost 100 Gulf coast residents will tell the Senate how the oil is affecting them firsthand. What are they asking for? We're talking to one of them, next.
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LEMON: In his first Oval Office address to the nation last night, the president called for a new clean energy policy. He says it's time to end U.S. dependence on fossil fuels. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I'm happy to look at other ideas and approaches from either party as long as they seriously tackle our addiction to fossil fuels.
Some have suggested raising efficiency standards in our buildings like we did in our cars and trucks. Some believe we should set standards to ensure that more of our electricity comes from wind and solar power. Others wonder why the energy industry only spends a fraction of what the high-tech industry does on research and development and want to rapidly boost our investments in such research and development.
All of these approaches have merit and deserve a fair hearing in the months ahead. But the one approach I will not accept is inaction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Robin Grabowski has lived on the Gulf coast for 31 years. She is on Capitol Hill today pushing for new energy sources and talking with lawmakers.
I understand you spoke with the media short time ago. Robin, you have been a small business owner and also the head of the Tampa Bay Beach Chamber of Commerce. How would you describe the impact of the oil on your business right now?
ROBIN GRABOWSKI, TAMPA BAY BEACHES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: It's a very unfortunate situation. There isn't a single drop of oil on the Gulf beaches of Pinellas County, yet our local businesses are down five percent to 30 percent.
LEMON: With that said y you heard the president last night, you heard him today.
GRABOWSKI: Yes, I did.
LEMON: Do you feel that administration is doing enough, Robin?
GRABOWSKI: You know, we all can always do more. But I speak with my members who are confident we're moving in the right direction. We are building some momentum with the organization. We're holding them accountable.
We're very excited that there is some funds going to be put into an independent fund to start helping with the claims process, so every little bit helps. I think that the American people need to have a little bit of patience. We don't want to make swift decisions. But having said that, a step into a comprehensive clean energy plan is vital to this.
LEMON: Robin, let's listen to a little last night of what the president -- the president talked about offshore drilling last night, so let's listen and we'll talk about it, OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I've issued a six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling. I know this creates difficulty for the people who work on these rigs, but for the sake of their safety and the sake of the entire region we need to know the facts before we allow deepwater drilling to continue.
And while I urge the commission to complete its work as quickly as possible, I expect them to do that work thoroughly and impartially.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK, so listen, Robin, I know from personal experience, I grew up in the Gulf coast, it's a catch 22 because that area depends on oil, on seafood, on the ocean, all of it to survive. So are you worried about the effect that this ban will have on jobs in your area? People need these jobs.
GRABOWSKI: You know, obviously a chamber of commerce, we're advocates of jobs and creation of jobs, you know, and we do have some concern with job creation.
However, by moving into a clean energy policy we can create more jobs. Our tourism industry on the Gulf of Mexico is a billions and billions dollar industry and we create multiple jobs and we're in the process of losing those jobs as well.
So the moratorium I think is a great step to take a step back on the situation, reevaluate where we are as a country. Those elected officials here in Washington, they work for us and they have the power to make this change today.
LEMON: Robin, listen, I understand that. But while people are -- have a moratorium or suspended or doing whatever, I'm not saying what should or shouldn't be done, there's people whose livelihoods are lost. They have to pay their mortgages, feed their kids, send them to school, put clothing, shelter, all that while people are deciding what should and shouldn't be done.
GRABOWSKI: This is true, and I'm one of those people. I run a chamber of commerce that, you know, promotes a tourism destination, and I have people right now that are in that same position because the oil has affected a specific industry as well.
LEMON: So what do you have those folks in limbo do, Robin?
GRABOWSKI: Unfortunately, the people in limbo need to have another job to go to. We need to create jobs. And I don't believe that those jobs need to be created digging for oil.
LEMON: All right. It's a tough job market out there.
GRABOWSKI: That's a strong opinion from the chamber of commerce.
LEMON: I understand that. It's a tough job market and I see both sides of it, and I appreciate you coming to talk to us and let us know what happens to you while you're there visiting in Washington, D.C. Thank you, Robin.
GRABOWSKI: Thank you so much.
LEMON: OK. OK. So all of that, can you believe that fight over jaywalking? Then the officer as you see punches a teen, did she deserve it? That's straight ahead on "The List."
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LEMON: All right, let's go to Wall Street now. And there you see it. It's just moments before the top of the hour. Yes, we have about five seconds before the bell -- before we hit the bell or at least 15 seconds, right at 4:00. There you go.
Listen, the market is going to close at about 10,000 today. That's not the final number. The final numbers always come out a little bit after that, 10,411, going to go a little, plus seven, plus eight percent.
