Florida's Nelson presses BP for at least $7 million

Florida Sen. Bill Nelson (D) is pressing BP to pay at least eight counties in his state at least $7 million for costs related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. 

Nelson questioned Bob Dudley, managing director of BP, about complaints from local business owners and officials from Florida’s Panhandle about millions in payments they hadn't yet received for their response to the oil spill, during a meeting Tuesday on Capitol Hill. 

"I wanted some reassurance that this is going to be reimbursed, and pronto," Nelson said today in a release.

BP has paid out more than $130 million in claims for individuals and businesses along the Gulf coast, according to figures released by Nelson's office. 

On Monday, 41,000 payments totaling more than $128 million had been paid, BP reported. 

The total cost of the spill -- containment, clean up, digging relief oil wells and paying claims -- had eclipsed $2.65 billion as of Monday, BP said.