Keystone Pipeline Project Denied by Obama

Continuing on in his determination to destroy the oil and gas drilling industry in our country, Barack Obama today allowed the State Department to nix the Keystone Pipeline project.  The decision was required from this administration as it was a part of the December payroll tax legislation agreement.  So, instead of actually making a decision, Obama again punted.  He tossed it off to the State Department and allowed that department to take the fall for his cowardness.

Upon the leak to the press, the Institute for Energy Research issued this statement:

“Tens of thousands of American jobs died today because of the president’s rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline permit. For more than two years, the administration has delayed, hoping to get past 2012 without having to reveal the president’s true anti-job, anti-energy agenda. Because of today’s announcement, Americans will continue to send $70 million overseas every day to purchase foreign oil that could be coming from right here in North America.

Today, the president has clearly said that the creation of tens of thousands of American jobs and a stronger relationship with our closest trade partner was not in the national interest. Out-of-work Americans are surely asking themselves what nation’s interest the president is considering? It certainly isn’t America’s — not our energy security and not our economy.

Moreover, it is an insult to the American people that he president has to hide behind Secretary Hillary Clinton to kill Keystone XL. Rather than coming out and saying what we already know — that he has chosen to side with environmental radicals and the EPA against job creators and hardworking, taxpaying men and women — he’s blaming his failure on the inability to finish a State Department review within the statutory timeframe. That timeframe, by the way, was approved by a Democrat-controlled Senate.

The president’s actions today are unconscionable. It is raw political hubris at its very worst. Every time the President has wanted something, he’s been more than willing to fast track it. He fast tracked Obamacare. He fast-tracked his trillion dollar stimulus. He fast tracked cap-and-trade. He’s fast tracked EPA regulations and Solyndra loans. But today, he claims he doesn’t have the time to do a thorough job.

It’s time for this president to stop worrying about his own job, and start worrying about millions of Americans who haven’t had a job since he took office.”

Jack Gerard, President and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute asks of the President, "What are you thinking?"

“This is a clear abdication of leadership on the part of the President. How can you say that you are for jobs and reject the largest shovel ready job in America. Mr. President, what are you thinking?
It makes the United States more vulnerable to rely on outside sources for our energy. Unfortunately, Prime Minister Harper of Canada just this week said because of the volatile indecisiveness on the part of this President, that they feel they are being held hostage and they will take their energy elsewhere specifically to Asia and China.

Obama claims that the Republicans were "rushing" him with an arbitrary deadline. He whines that he's "disappointed" that Republicans forced this decision. Excuse me, but that decision was voted on and passed in the Democratically-controlled Senate.  He continues to fib about the claim that under his administration the output of American oil is up. His moratorium is very much in place with the continued slow walking of permits allowing drilling and allowing drilling in progress to continue. He is completely in the pocket of his base, including the environmentalists, at this point, as he seeks re-election on very shaking grounds.

Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus issued this statement:

“President Obama’s decision to block the Keystone XL energy pipeline is both economically destructive and politically self-serving. He has sacrificed 20,000 American jobs and an affordable, secure energy source simply to please his liberal base. With Americans suffering from high unemployment and high energy prices, the president has once again ignored the needs of the American people,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.

“Obama’s failure to lead on the economy is a reminder of how desperately America needs a new direction. Today, Barack Obama proved he will say anything to save his job but do nothing to create jobs for the unemployed. America cannot afford four more years of misplaced priorities.

“We need a president who puts the interests of the American people ahead of the special interests."