Photo courtesy of Heritage.
Today, prematurely, Obama put a stop to the Keystone Pipeline project which would bring oil from Alberta to Texas. Under pressure from environmental groups late last year he arbitrarily moved the deadline to make a final decision to February 21. However in a stunning statement today Obama took the advice of State Department chief Clinton and rejected the permit altogether. From the White House blog:
Earlier today, I received the Secretary of State’s recommendation on the pending application for the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. As the State Department made clear last month, the rushed and arbitrary deadline insisted on by Congressional Republicans prevented a full assessment of the pipeline’s impact, especially the health and safety of the American people, as well as our environment. As a result, the Secretary of State has recommended that the application be denied. And after reviewing the State Department’s report, I agree.
This announcement is not a judgment on the merits of the pipeline, but the arbitrary nature of a deadline that prevented the State Department from gathering the information necessary to approve the project and protect the American people. I’m disappointed that Republicans in Congress forced this decision, but it does not change my Administration’s commitment to American-made energy that creates jobs and reduces our dependence on oil. Under my Administration, domestic oil and natural gas production is up, while imports of foreign oil are down. In the months ahead, we will continue to look for new ways to partner with the oil and gas industry to increase our energy security –including the potential development of an oil pipeline from Cushing, Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico – even as we set higher efficiency standards for cars and trucks and invest in alternatives like biofuels and natural gas. And we will do so in a way that benefits American workers and businesses without risking the health and safety of the American people and the environment.
- Obama’s decision to reject Keystone sent a clear message that special interest demands are of more importance than more energy and much-needed job creation.
- Building the pipeline would bring over 700,000 barrels of oil per day and directly create 20,000 truly shovel-ready jobs.
- The Canadian Energy Research Institute estimates that current pipeline operations and the addition of the Keystone XL pipeline would create 179,000 American jobs by 2035.
- Keystone XL also met 57 specific pipeline safety standard requirements created by DOS and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).
- Senators Max Baucus (D–MT), Jon Tester (D–MT), Joe Manchin (D–WV), Ben Nelson (D–NE), Mark Begich (D–AK), and Mary Landrieu (D–LA) have all expressed support for the pipeline.
- The President’s own jobs council underscored the need for not only more oil, natural gas, and coal but also energy infrastructure project.
Very ironic yesterday I wrote an article about Obama’s “Job’s Council” report and their recommendations to optimize all our domestic energy resources even though the Obama administration is killing domestic fossil fuel production any way they can. This is a another job-killer and blow to our security and economy which unfortunately was predicted knowing the track record of this administration.
Crossposted at Unified Patriots
