Congress must support continued federal efforts to improve offshore drilling oversight and restore the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of last summer's massive oil spill, members of a presidential panel that investigated the spill told two House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittees today.

At issue in the joint hearing were recommendations from the presidential panel for increased federal regulation of and safety provisions for the offshore drilling industry.

Commission members Donald Boesch, a University of Maryland marine scientist; Terry Garcia of the National Geographic Society; and retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, who led the federal response to the Gulf spill last year, said legislative action was the only way to push penalties paid by BP PLC and other companies involved in the spill to Gulf restoration.

The commission in a report to President Obama proposed lifting the $75 million liability cap for economic damages from oil spills.

Rep. Jeff Landry (R-La.), however, was hesitant to raise the caps any further because of their potential effect on small oil producers who "still have a role to play in the Gulf of Mexico."

Rep. Don. Young (R-Alaska) expressed concern about the effect the commission's recommendations might have on domestic oil drilling in other regions, particularly in his state. He suggested the commission move slowly until the exact factors that contributed to the spill are determined.

Garcia assured lawmakers the proposal addressed safety concerns in all parts of the country.

"If these recommendations are implemented, yes, we would say it is safe to drill [in the Arctic], and we believe this report sets that up," Garcia said.

To prevent future spills, Allen championed a "hybrid system" that would involve local, state and federal regulations as well as an industry-fueled mechanism for sharing best practices for drilling. He also suggested looking at technology used in foreign spills.

"The very worst time to do oil spill R&D is in the middle of an oil spill," Allen said.

Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) said moving forward on the commission's recommendations should be a priority.

"If nothing else, the BP spill showed the need for more robust public capacity to respond quickly ... the public depends upon government agencies to ensure the safety of deepwater drilling and the safety of men and women who work on those platforms," he said.

The hearing was held by the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation and the Water Resources and Environment subcommittees.