Statement by the Press Secretary on the President's Call to Governor Barbour

Earlier today, the President called Governor Barbour to express his concern for the well-being of the people of Mississippi given the severity of the tornado activity over the weekend. The President was very sorry to learn about the loss of life and wanted to make sure they had everything they needed to respond to this tragedy. FEMA teams are currently on the ground working with state officials to assess the damage. The President and the Governor also discussed the response to the Deepwater Horizon mobile drilling unit; the President assured the Governor that every effort is being made to contain, disperse and skim the surface oil sheen offshore to help minimize the environmental impact.