Question: What is Obama Thinking on Keystone Veto?

February 12, 2015

Answer: “It’s the politics, stupid!

  • The Keystone Pipeline has now passed both the Senate and the House of Representatives with bipartisan majorities and stands ready for President Obama to sign it into law. Unfortunately for the American people, the only thing Obama is readying is his veto pen.
  • Obama is going to veto a project that will create thousands of jobs, make America more energy independent, and has the backing of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO.
  • In fact, according to a recent Pew Research Poll, the only people who oppose constructing the Keystone Pipeline are “Solid Liberals.” The remaining four Democrat-leaning groups that Pew surveyed all support construction of the pipeline.
  • Clearly then, Obama’s veto is not about the economy or about what is good for the country. It’s about politics. It’s about appealing to his liberal base. And, as one commentator so aptly stated, it’s about “exhibits in the Obama presidential library.”

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AFL-CIO urges approval of Keystone XL pipeline. “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.” (Sean Higgins, “AFL-CIO urges approval of Keystone XL pipeline,” Washington Examiner, 11/5/2014)

Approving the Keystone XL Pipeline Is a No-Brainer. “To sum it up, the Keystone XL pipeline will create thousands of jobs, boost state and local economies, and improve the United States’ energy security.” (Sean Hackbarth, “Approving the Keystone XL Pipeline Is a No-Brainer,” www.uschamber.com, 11/17/2014)

Support for Keystone XL pipeline is almost universal. “Even Democrats who prefer to develop alternate energy sources before expanding the use of fossil fuels say they want the Keystone XL pipeline built.” (Aaron Blake, “Support for Keystone XL pipeline is almost universal,” Washington Post, 6/26/2014)