CNN Poll Shows Majorities Of Americans Support Keystone

In 2011, we asked: Is Obama
Putting His Job Over American Jobs?

Today in Washington, D.C. - Jan. 16, 2014
On Tuesday night, President Obama will deliver his speech on the State of the Union to a Joint Session of Congress.

The Senate reconvened at 9:30 AM today and resumed consideration of S.1, the bill to authorize construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. Debate on the bill will continue today as senators file amendments. The first votes on amendments are expected on Tuesday afternoon.

The House is actually not in session today. It will ill reconvene at 4 PM, possibly announce committee memberships and then recess. They will reconvene on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2014.

Earlier this week,House Resources Chairman Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) and House Speaker Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) named Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) to be the Chairman of the House Resources Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.

Rick Manning, Americans for Limited Government, called the the decision:  "[W}elcome news for the country. Not only will the position allow Gohmert to utilize his immense talent to hold bureaucracies like the Bureau of Land Management accountable, but it demonstrates a coming together of the Republican Conference in the 114th Congress around a new, more limited government agenda. Speaker John Boehner and Chairman Rob Bishop are to be commended for choosing Rep. Gohmert to lead the Committee's oversight efforts."

With respect to President Obama treats on passage of the Keystone XL Pipleline bill, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell earlier this week said, “Democrats and Republicans cooperated . . . to bring the Keystone Pipeline another step closer to construction. Thanks to that bipartisan cloture vote, the Senate can finally begin an open floor debate on this committee-vetted-and-approved legislation.

“It’s a debate many of us have been looking forward to. And not just because of the substance of what we’re considering. We’ve been waiting a long time to see a debate where individual senators matter again. A debate where senators can offer amendments. A debate where senators can actually make the voices of their constituents heard.

“That’s just the kind of serious legislating many of us have been waiting for. The fact that we’re finally seeing it today — it’s a direct consequence of our constituents’ calls for a functioning Congress. . . .

“Getting Congress back to work means working to pass legislation that’s good for jobs and the middle class. That’s why we’re focused on getting measures like this bipartisan infrastructure bill over to the president’s desk.”

It’s worth considering just how broad the support for this pipeline project is. A closer look at this week’s CNN poll on Keystone is instructive. A majority of 57% of those polled favor building the pipeline---that includes 63% of men and 51% of women.

Every age group favors building the pipeline. Keystone is favored by majorities of those who attended college (59%) as well as those who didn’t (54%) and by majorities of Americans who live in urban areas (52%), suburban areas (57%), and rural areas (66%).

Independents favor building the pipeline by a 56% majority, and 80% of Republicans favor it. But even 39% of Democrats support building it, as do 36% of self-described liberals. Fifty-two percent of those who consider themselves moderates favor building the pipeline, as do 80% of conservatives.

Support for Keystone is broad and bipartisan. It unites urban and rural Americans, young and old, and men and women. Allowing this pipeline to finally be built after 6 years of studies will create jobs, enhance North American energy independence, build American infrastructure, and won’t cost the government money.

As Leader McConnell has said for years, this project is the very definition of “no-brainer.” The majority of Americans recognize this. And yet President Obama is still threatening to veto this bill. He would do well to listen to the vast majority of the American public on this issue.

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