The Hill News


If President Obama was really interested in creating jobs, he would not cave-in to election year politics and surrender to the demands of special interest groups. Unfortunately, this is precisely what happened last week when he punted the final decision on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline until after next fall's election.
 
Support for the pipeline is wide and varied and includes major labor unions who understand this project will create tens of thousands of American jobs and reduce our reliance on Middle East oil. With approval of this project America would have greater energy security, which equals greater national security. That's a win-win for our country.  Building the pipeline will create 20,000 direct American construction jobs with a spinoff of over 100,000 indirect jobs. That’s new, real private sector jobs at a time when our nation desperately needs them.
 
Because the Keystone pipeline would cross from Canada into the United States,! the project requires a presidential permit from the U.S. Department of State to proceed.  The pipeline is subject to the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires disclosure of potential environmental impacts and the consideration of possible alternatives.  After five years of extensive studies that addressed environmental concerns and determined the project is safe, we still do not have an answer.

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