The Keystone XL project would have grown American jobs but President Joe Biden's actions "buried" those jobs when he revoked a key permit, Sen. Steve Daines told Newsmax Thursday in response to the news that the company building the structure has terminated its $9 billion project.
"Biden buried that company at the same time he buried the jobs go with it," the Montana Republican told Newsmax's "National Report." "Instead of burying a pipeline, he buried the jobs."
T.C. Energy said on Wednesday it had terminated the $9 billion Keystone XL pipeline project after Biden revoked the permit. The pipeline, which was to have gone under construction this year, had been expected to transport 830,000 barrels per day of Alberta oil sands crude to Nebraska.
But Biden has given the green light for the Russian Nord Stream Two pipeline from Russia to Germany, which will not only bring jobs to Russia but will make Europe more dependent on Russia for energy, said Daines.
"You can't make this up," he said. "This contrast between growing Russian jobs versus killing American jobs is completely at the feet here of Joe Biden. He is the one to blame for what happened here, in America and these Keystone pipeline jobs.
"Remember it was six hours after Joe Biden sworn in office, he signed an executive order, killing the keystone pipeline," said Daines. "This is a private-sector infrastructure project, not paid for by the taxpayers by the private sector, that would have created thousands of jobs."
The Keystone pipeline would also have served to strengthen America's energy independence, said Daines.
"You realize right now, we're importing more oil and liquids from Russia than we are from Saudi Arabia," said Daines. "Why did Joe Biden kill an American pipeline?
Meanwhile, Biden, who is on his first foreign trip as president, said on Wednesday that the biggest threat is climate change, but Daines disagreed
"The United States can be very proud of its record related to reduce CO2 thanks to what's gone on in the private sector," said Daines, adding that the larger threats are those coming from China, Russia, and Iran, and the crisis at the border with Mexico.
"I wish that President Biden would go down to the southern border and take a look at that threat right now going on," said Daines.
The economy is also a concern, he added.
"When you created dependencies of the U.S. economy on places like the Middle East and Russia for energy that takes us back to the 1970s," said Daines. "I think (Biden's) forgotten what it was like back in those days. We can be thankful for this made in America energy revolution that's given us lower energy prices. national security and a growing economy."
Daines on Thursday also addressed the perception that bipartisanship is over in the Senate, saying he rejects that notion.
"We have two different, very two different views ... but we've actually moved six bipartisan bills to the Senate already this year," said Daines. "I reject that notion that there's not an opportunity for bipartisan cooperation. The challenge. We face it. Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and Joe Biden just want to go their way on everything. Look what happened last year under President Trump. We passed five bipartisan covid relief packages."
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