President Barack Obama’s decision on Wednesday to reject plans to implement the Keystone XL pipeline project prompted swift reaction from both sides of the political spectrum.
The decision also caused a big reaction from outside groups affected by the decision, including labor unions and environmental groups.
Mr. Obama’s decision was based on a recommendation from Secretary of the State Department Hilary Clinton to reject the the Keystone pipeline project, not because of the “merits” of the pipeline itself, but rather because of the February 21st deadline that House Republicans required as part of the two month reduced payroll tax rate deal created by Congress in late December.
The pipeline would bring oil from western Canada to oil refineries in Texas, traveling across Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma prior to reaching Texas.
The president believes his administration would need more time to fully examine all of the environmental issues involved with the pipeline. However House Republicans, lead by House Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican, are claiming that the president is putting politics ahead of job creation. Republicans back up their claims with evidence of opposition to the pipeline from the environmental groups that donate to the president’s campaign.
However, Mr. Obama on Wednesday cited the State Department’s recommendation of rejection as his primary reason for rejecting an expedited approval of the Keystone pipeline project. Mr. Obama did also state though that he would not oppose the development of an oil pipeline extending from Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico.
Democratic support and Republican rejection of the president’s decision varied on Wednesday, form Republican presidential candidates to House and Senate Democrats and Republicans.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat tried to downplay the Republican claim that the pipeline would decrease American dependency on foreign oil.
“Just last year, U.S. oil production reached its highest level in nearly a decade and imports hit their lowest level in more than 15 years,” said Ms. Pelosi in a statement Wednesday. “House Republicans unnecessarily imposed an arbitrary and unworkable deadline.”
Mr. Boehner though was not at all pleased with the president’s decision.
“President Obama is destroying tens of thousands of American jobs and shipping American energy security to the Chinese,” said Mr. Boehner in a statement Wednesday.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper tends to agree with Mr. Boehner, but only to a certain extent. In recent weeks, Mr. Harper has said that the U.S. delay of the approval of the Keystone pipeline project could lead to Canada pursuing negotiations with China to build a pipeline to its west coast where shipping the oil to China and other Asian markets would be easier and less costly.
Several House Republicans support Speaker Boehner’s criticism of the president’s decision to delay the Keystone pipeline project, including Rep. Tim Griffin an Arkansas Republican who says the project would add jobs in his state.
Republican presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney both slammed the president for not approving the pipeline project. Mr. Gingrich called it “stunningly stupid” while Mr. Romney called it “shocking.”
Both Mr. Romney and Mr. Gingrich have been critical of President Obama for his handling of the U.S. economy and pointed to his decision regarding the Keystone pipeline as a decision that puts politics before policy.
The State Department backed up the president’s denial with the release of a statement confirming the pipeline project as a concern to “national interests.”
The deparment headed by Secretary Clinton has discretionary authority regarding the pipeline because it would stretch across an international border.
“The Department of State recommended to President Obama that the presidential permit for the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline be denied and, that at this time, the TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline be determined not to serve the national interest,” said the State Department in a statement Wednesday.
The president’s rejection of the project will surely be a highly discussed issue leading up to the presidential election in the fall, as it pits Republican job creation interests against Democratic environmental concerns.
