President Obama Kills Keystone Pipeline & Jobs - Blames John Kerry

President Obama Officially Killed the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Intro Summary: Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: The move came days after TransCanada, the company sponsoring the project, asked for a suspension of its consideration, mainly due to economic considerations. The price of oil right now is relatively cheap. (But for how long?) So, Obama took the chance to score cheap political points.

The Keystone fiasco is a monument to government bureaucracy and left-wing nonsense. TransCanada first applied for the necessary permits when George W. Bush was still in office -- more than seven years ago.

In April 2010, the Clinton State Department initially approved the project, but the Obama Administration caved in to demands from the radical environmental movement. The project then got bogged down in lawsuits and red tape.

In January, a large bi-partisan coalition of 62 senators voted to allow construction of the pipeline. Polls found that the vast majority of Americans supported the pipeline -- a chance to access a large energy supply from a friendly neighbor.

PRESIDENT OBAMA in principle blamed Sec of State John Kerry: "'This morning, Secretary Kerry informed me that, after extensive public outreach and consultation with other cabinet agencies, the State Department has decided that the Keystone XL pipeline would not serve the national interests of the United States,' Obama said, appearing with Kerry and Vice President Joe Biden. 'I agree with that decision.'" ("Obama Just Announced That the Keystone XL Pipeline Is Dead," PolicyMic 11/6/14)

But once again, Barack Obama has sided with a loud radical minority against the common sense of most Americans.

American Public & Unions Support ‘The Creation Of Good Paying Jobs’
SEN. MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY): “I wish I were surprised by the President’s decision to reject this jobs and infrastructure project. But it’s become painfully clear that the President is more interested in appeasing deep-pocketed special interests and extremists than helping tens of thousands of Americans who could have benefited from Keystone’ s good jobs.” (Sen. McConnell, Press Release, 11/6/15)

‘The Party's Liberal Financiers … Have Made Killing Keystone A Non-Negotiable Demand’
“…the billionaire getting the most political bang for his buck is Tom Steyer. The hedge-fund politico has pledged to raise $100 million to help Democrats… Mr. Steyer and the party's liberal financiers … have made killing Keystone a non-negotiable demand.” (“Tom Steyer's Keystone Victory,” Wall Street Journal, 4/20/14)

“Now that the Oscars are over, Hollywood is turning its attention to the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. A slate of actors and musicians, including Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Robert Redford, Willie Nelson and Neil Young called on President Obama on Tuesday to put an end to the oil-sands project once and for all. ‘Rejecting Keystone XL is the kind of the principled choice leaders need to make…” (“Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin And Robert Redford Push Obama To Reject Keystone,” National Journal, 2/24/15)

AMERICANS: ‘By Nearly Two-To-One … Public Favors Building The Pipeline’
FOX NEWS: “Most Americans of all political stripes support construction of the long-delayed Keystone XL oil pipeline, and want President Obama to sign legislation approving it… A 65-percent majority says Obama should sign the Keystone legislation, according to the poll.” (“Voters Want Obama To Sign Bill Approving Keystone Pipeline,” Fox News, 1/14/15)

PEW: “By nearly two-to-one (59% to 31%), the public favors building the pipeline, which would carry crude from Canadian oil sands to ports on the U.S. Gulf Coast…” (“How Americans view the top energy and environmental issues,” Pew Research, 1/15/15)

CNN: “The 1,179-mile Canada-to-Texas pipeline is backed by 57% of the 1,011 Americans surveyed on Dec. 18-21” (“Poll: Majority Of Americans Back Keystone Pipeline,” CNN, 1/15/15)

UNIONS: ‘Strong Support’ For ‘The Creation Of Good Paying Jobs’

TEAMSTERS: ‘Good paying jobs’ “I am writing to express the strong support of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters for the Keystone XL Pipeline… The Teamsters Union continues to believe that the Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline will contribute to enhanced energy security, economic prosperity and, of critical importance, the creation of good paying jobs.” (James Hoffa, Teamsters President, Letter To Congress, 1/7/15)

• “…would employ upwards of 2,500 Teamsters and would infuse millions of dollars into local economies.” (James Hoffa, The Detroit News, 12/10/14)

ELECTRICAL WORKERS: “At a time when job creation should be a top priority, the Keystone XL Pipeline (KXL) project will put Americans back-to-work and have ripple benefits throughout the economy. During construction the project is expected to support at least 42,000 jobs and contribute $3.4 billion to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product.” (Edwin Hill, IBEW President, Letter To Congress, 1/8/15)

OPERATING ENGINEERS: “The project is expected to generate approximately 3,000 job-years for Operating Engineers alone. With congressional approval of the pipeline, you can unleash this massive economic activity at no cost to taxpayers.” (James Callahan, IUEOE President, Letter To Reps. Boehner & Pelosi, 1/7/15)

PLUMBERS & PIPEFITTERS: ‘This shovel-ready project will put thousands of hardworking men and women to work at zero cost to taxpayers’ “On behalf of the 370,000 members of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the Unites States, Canada, and Australia (UA), I urge you to support H.R. 3, a bill to approve the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline.  This shovel-ready project will put thousands of hardworking men and women to work at zero cost to taxpayers.” (William Hite, UA President, Letter To Congress, 1/8/15)

NORTH AMERICA’S BUILDING TRADES UNIONS: “This vote is, pure and simple, a vote for American jobs… The livelihood of thousands of Building Trades members depend on the construction of Keystone XL.” (Sean McGarvey, BCTD President, Letter To Congress, 1/7/15)

LiUNA: “…this legislation is a jobs bill for the thousands of union construction workers that will build this Pipeline.  If Members… want to oppose the Pipeline for partisan political reasons, they should at least have the guts to say so.  To try to justify their pandering to environmental extremists and their billionaire backers by attacking the jobs that the Pipeline would create is cowardly. … Enough is enough!”” (Terry O’Sullivan, LiUNA! President, Letter To Congress, 1/8/15)

“To be relevant with the working class, Democratic leaders in Washington should put job creation and the livelihoods of working men and women ahead of the ravings of environmental wing-nuts and their deep pocketed billionaire funders. They should get out and meet the men and women who need real jobs and stop putting politics before people.” (“Senate Democrats Assault On The Working Class,” LiUNA! 11/18/14)

TRUMKA: “AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka urged the new Republican-controlled Congress and the White House to get together and approve the controversial, long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline project, saying it would boost the economy. ‘There are a number of economic issues and job issues that we want them to get done. That happens to be one of them. So the answer is “yes.” We want to get every jobs issue that we can out and as many jobs created as we can to get the economy going,’ Trumka said…” (“AFL-CIO Urges Approval Of Keystone XL Pipeline,” Washington Examiner, 11/5/14)

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