The Obama administration has delayed plans to permit new offshore oil drilling as a result of the current spill. As the crisis drags on, President Obama's approval rating has fallen over this handling of the situation. Political pressure is now growing on BP. The US Senate has urged the company to make a multi Bbillion dollar contribution to a fund as an act of good faith to compensate those affected by the disaster. But the issue of financial liability is a difficult one. The question of who is going to pay for the damage and how much is becoming a political issue.