Keystone is Opportunity to Help American People

Despite claims that he wants to work with the new Congress and enact positive reforms for the American people, President Obama certainly isn’t starting off the year in a way that reflects such intentions. By already threatening to veto any legislation on Keystone XL that makes it to his desk, the president is choosing environmental extremists over hardworking Americans who would benefit from the thousands of jobs created.

Since TransCanada submitted its application to build Keystone XL more than six years ago, the president has refused to make a decision one way or another. If approved for construction, the $7 billion construction project would create around 42,100 direct and indirect jobs, adding around $2 billion to the American economy. The pipeline could move up to 830,000 barrels of oil per day once completed; as a point of reference, we currently import about half of that amount from the Middle East.

In an effort to see this project through, TransCanada has fully cooperated with the process and even re-applied for a permit at the president’s recommendation after he declined the first in January 2012. Studies have been conducted by the State Department that revealed no harmful impact on the environment. Despite these findings, we are still in the waiting room.

Even labor unions—usually supporters of the president and his policies—have expressed their anger and opposition to the president for delaying a construction project that would provide tens of thousands of good paying jobs at a time when the American economy sorely needs them. When President Obama rejected TransCanada’s first application on January 18, 2012 and told the company to resubmit its application, he angered union workers who understood the cost of lost labor from his delay. Terry O’Sullivan, president of the Laborers’ International Union of North American, spoke up on behalf of the base, “The president has sided with environmentalists instead of blue collar construction workers—even though environmental concerns were more than adequately addressed.”

Not only is continued delay of Keystone XL a missed opportunity for hardworking Americans, but it also damages our friendship with our neighbors in Canada—one of the best friends our country has and one that has fought with us in defense of freedom all over the world.

The states through which the pipeline would run are on board, including Nebraska where litigation challenging the authority of the governor to approve the construction of the pipeline has been resolved. Last week, the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld the governor’s authority in the matter. In the past, the president has cited this litigation as one of the reasons he could not approve the project.

Unfortunately, before even seeing the reconciled bill between the House and the Senate, the president has already stated that he will veto any legislation that comes to his desk on the matter. Considering that he traveled to Cushing, Oklahoma—where the pipeline would have a terminal—to celebrate the completion of the southern route of the same pipeline, the president’s intentions are hypocritical and ill-founded. Evidently, he would rather cater to environmental extremists, rather than respecting the will of the majority of Americans who support construction.

Without question, lawmakers in both chambers of Congress and on both sides of the aisle agree with the majority of Americans that construction of the Keystone pipeline is a wise move for domestic energy production and job creation. During the first week of session in the 114th Congress, House members renewed their commitment to this project by voting for the 10th time to remove the presidential permit requirement that has prevented TransCanada’s construction of Keystone XL. I voted for this measure and was pleased to stand with the American people – and especially the American workers who stand to benefit most from this important project.

Time is of the essence on this project. Up until now, our Canadian friends have shown remarkable patience in the face of irresponsible and unforgiveable delays in approving this project. But it’s not reasonable for us to expect them to delay construction indefinitely. Sooner or later, in the absence of approval, they will have to seek alternative means to get their product to market, which will mean tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of economic growth will go elsewhere. It’s time for the President to put the interests of American workers ahead of those of radical environmentalists and approve this project.