Bipartisan Panel To Visit Gulf Coast

By Eileen Fleming

New Orleans, La. – Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano are planning a flyover of the oil spill. They will be joined six senators, including Republicans Lisa Murkowki of Alaska, the ranking member of the Energy Committee, and David Vitter of Louisiana. Democrats include Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin of Illinois and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. State and local officials will also be meeting the group. BP has taken a pounding from Salazar, who says he's now angry and frustrated that it hasn't stopped the spill and is missing deadlines. BP has planned to plug the leaking well over the weekend with heavy liquid, mud and cement. Now it could be Wednesday.
For NPR News, I'm Eileen Fleming in New Orleans.