“With today’s decision to reject the development of the Keystone XL pipeline, which enjoys broad bipartisan support, President Obama has sadly placed ideology before country. The Keystone XL project is guaranteed to create thousands of quality American jobs and provide our nation with reliable energy resources needed to fuel our economic recovery. The President’s rejection of this slam dunk job creator is another disappointing reminder that he is more concerned with his reelection than helping Americans get back to work.
“While today’s decision may not be popular among most Americans, including members of the numerous labor unions who supported the project, I am confident the President’s rejection of Keystone XL was a major hit in China – a nation that will eagerly step forward in our absence to accept reliable supplies of energy from Canada.
“I am deeply disappointed by the President’s decision, which conflicts with recommendations put forward yesterday by his own Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. Sadly, this rejection comes as no surprise considering the President’s record of failing to adequately promote American energy security. I will continue to work in a bipartisan manner to ensure this critical project is not squandered.”
A Washington Post editorial also questions President Obama's judgment on this decision. "There are far fairer, far more rational ways to discourage oil use in America, the first of which is establishing higher gasoline taxes. Environmentalists should fight for policies that might actually do substantial good instead of tilting against Keystone XL, and President Obama should have the courage to say so."
What about Congressman Tim Holden? In October, he was one of 22 House Democrats to tell President Obama that "the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline represents a true shovel-ready project that would directly create 20,000 high quality domestic manufacturing and construction jobs for Americans who are desperately seeking employment. The project would also create an additional 118,000 spin-off jobs."
