Remembering the oil spill victims (Rep. Charlie Melancon)

I rise today with a heavy heart to remember the 11 men that died on the offshore rig Deepwater Horizon. 

Those men, and thousands other like them, travel out to offshore rigs every day to work hard and provide opportunities for the rest of us to make a living.

As the crisis in the Gulf of Mexico continues to grow we see shorelines, fisheries and other economies threatened.  This unprecedented event has the entire Gulf Coast – and country – watching to see how soon we can end this.

Setting aside the present crisis for a moment - I am proud to stand with members of this Congress to remember those men who represent a very human face to this tragedy.

I would also like to take a moment to recognize the families of those 11 people.  Those men were doing what so many other men and women do in Louisiana every day – they were working to provide a better life for their families, while braving difficult and sometimes dangerous conditions to provide the domestic energy needed to drive our nation and our economy. Our thoughts are with these families and I pray that their grief is not forgotten by the rest of us.

And we should also recognize the courageous work of the emergency responders who fought the blaze and saved lives that night.

The loss of those 11 workers is a high cost to their families, and so I ask everyone to remember the personal side to this tragedy. 

Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.