Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Here’s Why President Obama Can Find No Benefits For America In Building The Keystone Pipeline


Here’s Why President Obama Can Find No Benefits For America In Building The Keystone Pipeline

AUTHOR:  DECEMBER 21, 2014 11:05 PM
President Obama, once smitten with Pipeline, now appears to be listening to the facts, facts that were delivered by activists who found themselves chained to the White House fence during many months in 2013 and 2014 protesting the Pipeline.
At the last press conference of the 2014 year, President Obama emphasized one of the most important issues involved in the Keystone Pipeline debate: Keystone is “not American oil, it is Canadian oil.”
As Mitch McConnell fills his wallet with money from Big Oil, President Obama is taking a closer look at the Keystone Pipeline and he is not acting thrilled with what he sees. He is also aware that the GOP attempted to pass through Keystone Pipeline legislation earlier this month and knows it fell one vote short before the Senate adjourned and headed to their home states. The President also understands that Mitch McConnell has pledged to make it his first item on the New Year’s agenda. McConnell will need 60 votes to keep the Senate from filibustering the bill and 67 votes to make it veto proof.
Photo courtesy of prn.fm
Photo courtesy of prn.fm
McConnell may not have a veto-proof majority and here are the reasons why:
1. The Pipeline will ship Canadian oil, not American oil.
2. The oil being shipped will benefit Canadian oil companies and the Canadian oil industry, not American companies.
During the press conference President Obama made the following point:
“That oil currently is being shipped out through rail or trucks and it would save Canadian oil companies, and the Canadian oil industry enormous amounts of money if they could simply pipe it all the way down to the Gulf.”
3. There is no benefit to the U.S. Consumers, not even a nominal benefit.
“It’s very good for Canadian oil companies, and it’s good for the Canadian oil industry but it’s not going to be a huge benefit to U.S. consumers, it’s not even going to be a nominal benefit to U.S. consumers.”
4. The Keystone Pipeline is only expected to create 35 permanent jobs after completion with only approximately 3,900 temporary positions during the construction phase.
5. There remains a question as to the environmental impact and while the State Department released an 11 volume environmental impact statement in the early part of 2014, the reviews by the E.P.A. and the Commerce, Defense and Homeland Security departments and others was halted in April when a Nebraska court blocked the Nebraska’s governor’s decision to allow the pipeline to run through the state.
6. This same Nebraska court has stopped the pipeline from being built and passing through its state. This matter is still pending and the President claims he is waiting to hear from the courts in Nebraska before proceeding with the pipeline.
7. While the State Department has the ‘permitting authority’ for the project, the secretary of state must consider the economic, environmental, national security and foreign policy implications. After full consideration, it must then determine that the pipeline is “in the national interest.”
According to The NY Times,
“People close to Mr. Obama say that although he is committed to building a climate legacy, he does not see the pipeline as a central part of that effort. Instead, the president is moving forward with a set of E.P.A. regulations on coal-fired power plants, the nation’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.”
Stand strong President. While the polls for the Pipeline appear to be in favor of building the pipeline, Americans have been misinformed and believe that gas prices will plummet, the environment will not be harmed and jobs will be plentiful. We now know that is simply not true. You have strong informed support across this country for vetoing any pipeline legislation that might cross your desk. We stand with you and against this ridiculous pipeline that has become nothing but a pipe dream.

script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<!-- nomorefiatmoneyplease_sidebar-right-1_AdSense1_250x250_as -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
     style="display:inline-block;width:250px;height:250px"
     data-ad-client="ca-pub-9205484028477356"
     data-ad-slot="1840165228"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});


at

No comments:

Post a Comment