US President Barack Obama has vowed to end the "cosy relationship" between oil companies and US regulators in the light of the Gulf of Mexico disaster.
Promising "relentless" efforts to stop the oil leak, he rebuked oil industry executives for seeking to pass on blame for the disaster in Congress.
He condemned "the ridiculous spectacle of oil executives falling over each other to point the finger of blame".
Mr Obama was speaking after meeting his cabinet at the White House.
A lack of vigilant oversight contributed to the BP oil rig explosion, he said, speaking in the Rose Garden.
Federal regulators had, he said, sometimes approved drilling plans based on the oil companies’ promises to use safe practices.
The rule from now on, the president said, would be "trust but verify".
Mr Obama also said he shared the anger felt by Gulf Coast residents over the oil spill.
"The potential devastation to the Gulf Coast, its economy and its people require us to continue our relentless efforts to stop the leak and contain the damage," he told reporters.
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