Embattled BP CEO Hayward to testify before Congress

By Jordan Fabian - 06/08/10 03:13 PM ET

Embattled BP CEO Tony Hayward will testify before a congressional panel next Thursday examining the causes of the spill.

Embattled BP CEO Tony Hayward will testify before a congressional panel next Thursday examining the causes of the Gulf oil spill.

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight will hear testimony from the executive who has found himself between the crosshairs of lawmakers and the president for his company's role in the spill.

More than six weeks ago, a pipe burst below the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf due to an explosion onboard, sparking what President Barack Obama has called the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. BP and the government have felt a backlash from critics who say they were unprepared to deal with the ensuing leak.

Next Thursday will be the first time Hayward appears before Congress. The hearing will likely generate fireworks since Hayward has earned the scorn of officials and the public as the spill has worsened.

Hayward was criticized after he recently said during comments about the response effort that he wants his "life back." In reply, the company launched a television ad campaign featuring Hayward promising his company will clean up the spill.

Last month BP America Chairman and President Lamar McKay testified before Congress alongside executives from Transocean, which owns the rig, and Halliburton, which provided material for the pipe. The president later criticized the three executives for blaming one another for causing the spill.

But Obama on Tuesday turned up the volume on Hayward, saying he would have fired the executive if he was in charge of the company. Louisiana Rep. Charlie Melancon (D) has also called for him to be fired.

Officials have kept the pressure on BP to pay for its share of the cleanup costs as well as restitution to Gulf Coast residents affected by the spill.

Cross-posted from the Briefing Room