Senators head to Gulf as oil disaster estimates double

 A delegation of U.S. senators head to the heart of coastal Louisiana on Friday to assess the damage caused by the growing BP oil disaster.

The visit comes as researchers have doubled estimates of how much oil has been spewing from a ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico, reporting Thursday that up to 40,000 barrels, or 1.7 million gallons, a day may have escaped for weeks.

The four lawmakers, Sens. Benjamin Cardin, David Vitter, Jeff Merkley and Barbara Mikulski, will be in Grand Isle, Louisiana, one of the early areas hit by the slick created by the underwater gusher.

Local politicians are expressing outrage over how the White House and oil giant are handling the disaster response.

The senators are the latest in a virtual parade of Washington officials to make the trip to the Gulf Coast. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis was in the region Thursday, while President Obama is scheduled to make his fourth trip to the region next week.

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2010/06/11/dnt.lavandera.oil.increase.cnn