Obama Decision Likely Not the Last Word for Keystone

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and fellow Democrat Gov. Maggie Hassan supported President Barack Obama’s decision Friday to reject the Keystone XL pipeline, while Republican U.S. Sen.

Secretary of State John Kerry stated that the Keystone XL project isn’t in the country’s national security interest and President Obama agreed with him, says CNN. “I agree with that decision”, Obama said at the White House, adding that the project would not make a meaningful long-term contribution to the USA economy or lower gasoline prices. When announcing its rejection, Obama said that it has taken “an overinflated role in our political discourse”.

That role is not likely to diminish as the presidential campaign continues for another year.

The Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank for which former Ohio Democratic governor Ted Strickland worked up until March of this year, celebrated President Obama’s decision to reject the Keystone XL pipeline Friday.

Environmentalists said the Keystone pipeline would be a climate disaster. “The number of jobs it would create and the amount of carbon emissions it would facilitate have both been exaggerated”.

Keystone XL would have linked existing pipeline networks in Canada and the United States to bring crude from Alberta and North Dakota to refineries in Illinois and, eventually, the Gulf of Mexico coast.

Earlier this week, TransCanada asked the US State Department to put its review of the project on hold. Bold Nebraska representative Jane Kleeb says the decision is an environmental win.

Kuster said she had concerns about the environmental impact of the proposed project, which was set to carry up to 830,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada, according to project developer TransCanada.

“Rhetoric won out over reason”, said TransCanada CEO Russ Girling. “It’s disappointing and truly unfortunate that the president chose to unilaterally reject this incredible opportunity, and I hope it will be revived in the coming years”.

“Would you rather have pipelines underground or thousands of rail cars?” said Briggs, who said many rail cars pass through Lafayette.

“Anybody who’s ever tried to earn a check in a blue-collar business – I ran a machine shop – understands the importance of affordable energy here in America”, Pompeo said.