Keystone Veto: Was There Any Doubt?

LEANING RIGHT-We all knew it was coming. It’s just that nobody understands why. 

President Barack Obama rejected a bill Tuesday to approve construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, wielding his veto power for only the third time in his presidency. 

Obama offered no indication of whether he'll eventually issue a permit for the pipeline, whose construction has become a flashpoint in the U.S. debate about environmental policy and climate change. Instead, Obama sought to reassert his authority to make the decision himself, rebuffing GOP lawmakers who will control both the House and Senate for the remainder of the president's term. 

"The presidential power to veto legislation is one I take seriously," Obama said in a brief notice delivered to the Senate. "But I also take seriously my responsibility to the American people." 

What responsibility is he taking seriously by rejecting use of readily available resources? We have seen that the Keystone pipeline coupled with reserves within our borders will provide us with more oil than the rest of the world combined. 

It has been shown that we have: 

● 8 times as much oil than as Saudi Arabia

●18 times as much oil as Iraq

● 21 times as much oil as Kuwait

● 22 times as much oil as Iran

● 500 times as much oil as Yemen

Instead we continue to rely on a  region of the world that hates us. 

Obama vetoed the bill in private with no fanfare, in contrast to the televised ceremony Republican leaders staged earlier this month when they signed the bill and sent it to the president. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Republicans were "not even close" to giving up the fight and derided the veto as a "national embarrassment." 

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Although the veto is Obama's first since Republicans took control on Capitol Hill, it was not likely to be the last. GOP lawmakers are lining up legislation rolling back Obama's actions on health care, immigration and financial regulation that Obama has promised to similarly reject. 

"He's looking at this as showing he still can be king of the hill, because we don't have the votes to override," 

I look at this still trying to find something positive he has done for our country. 

First proposed more than six years ago, the Keystone XL pipeline project has sat in limbo ever since, awaiting a permit required by the federal government because it would cross an international boundary. The pipeline would connect Canada's tar sands with refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast that specialize in processing heavy crude oil. 

Republicans and the energy industry say the $8 billion project would create jobs, spur growth and increase America's independence from Mideast energy sources. Democrats and environmental groups have sought to make the pipeline a poster child for the type of dirty energy sources they say are exacerbating global warming. 

For his part, Obama says his administration is still weighing the pipeline's merits (maybe they need better scales), and he has repeatedly threatened to veto any attempts by lawmakers to make the decision for him. 

The GOP-controlled House passed the bill earlier in February on a 270-152 vote, following weeks of debate and tweaks in the Senate to insert language stating that climate change is real and not a hoax. Republican leaders in Congress delayed sending the bill to the White House until they returned from a weeklong recess, ensuring they would be on hand to denounce the president when he vetoed the bill. 

The veto forced Republicans, still reveling in their dramatic gains in the midterm elections, to confront the limitations of being unable to turn their ideas into law without the president's consent — despite the fact they now control both chambers of Congress. 

The pipeline is something that will be very beneficial to the country. 

●The resources are readily available. 

●The ability to develop these resources is identified. Thousands of jobs will be created and the country’s infrastructure will be improved. 

●The need for these barrels of oil and the resources is begging their development. 

The only thing impeding is Obama. What a legacy! 

We continue being held over a barrel by those who hate us and we can only predict that when OPEC says ‘touch your toes’ we will say ‘when.’ 

What a legacy!

 

(Kay Martin is an author and a CityWatch contributor. His new book, Along for the Ride, is now available. He can be reached at  [email protected]This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .)

-cw

 

 

CityWatch

Vol 13 Issue 17

Pub: Feb 27, 2015