President Barack Obama will alienate his relationship with the Republican-controlled Congress and cost Americans jobs if he follows through on his threat to veto the Keystone XL legislation passed by the House Friday night, North Dakota Republican Sen. John Hoeven said in this week's
GOP address.
“It’s important not only because it’s vital energy infrastructure legislation, but also because it has bipartisan support in Congress, the overwhelming support of the American people, and it represents a real opportunity to break through the gridlock in the Senate by returning to what’s called 'regular order,'" Hoeven said Saturday.
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The House legislation
passed Friday by a vote of 266-153, after the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled the project could be built.
But White House spokesman Eric Schultz said in a statement that Obama still plans to veto the bill if it reaches his desk, as "we are going to let that process play out,"
reports The Hill.
"Regardless of the Nebraska ruling today, the House bill still conflicts with longstanding
Executive branch procedures regarding the authority of the president and prevents the thorough consideration of complex issues that could bear on U.S. national interests, and if presented to the president, he will veto the bill."
The pipeline would carry 830,000 barrels of oil daily, which could allow the U.S. to "achieve true North American energy security at home, and at the same time help our allies abroad," through its partnership with Canada, he said.
Hoeven criticized Obama for declaring he'll veto the legislation "before he's seen the final product" and called on him to "work with Congress on this and other important issues for the American people."
"If the President isn't willing to get on board with the Keystone XL pipeline – which nearly 70 percent of the American people support, all the states along the route have approved and a bipartisan majority of Congress has passed – what will it take for him to work with us to get something done?" the senator said.
The only thing holding back the pipeline now is the federal government, said Hoeven, and "that's unfortunate because the Keystone XL pipeline is all about energy, jobs, economic growth, and national security."
In addition to bringing oil in from Canada, the pipeline will also carry 100,000 barrels of oil daily from North Dakota and Montana, he pointed out.
"Working with one of our closest friends and allies, Canada, we can achieve true North American energy security at home, and at the same time help our allies abroad, which makes our people more secure both here and overseas," said Hoeven.
"The oil and gas we are producing in North America is already changing the global geo-political dynamic, weakening petro-dependent states like Russia, Iran, and Venezuela and strengthening America."
Increased supply is already reducing gas prices, said Hoeven, pointing out economists say lower pump prices "will have the equivalent effect of cutting taxes in the U.S. by between $100 billion and $125 billion."
Gas prices haven't dropped so drastically because "OPEC decided to give us a Christmas present this year," said Hoeven, but because of the oil and gas industry coming from the Bakken fields in North Dakota and Montana, the Eagle Ford in Texas and from Canadian oil.
"For us to continue to produce more energy and retain all of these benefits, we need more pipelines to move crude at the lowest cost and in the safest and most environmentally friendly way," said Hoeven, pointing out that the State Department's own reviews have found the Keystone XL pipeline will not have a significant impact on the environment.
"In fact, the review says that if we don’t build the pipeline, Canadian oil will still find its way to market by rail, requiring 1,400 tanker cars every day on our railroads to move the same volume of oil," said Hoeven.
The pipeline will also support more than 42,000 jobs, boost the nation's economy by $3.4 billion and reduce dependence on the Middle East, said Hoeven.