If Obama Truly Wished To Turn Around The Economy, He'd Approve Keystone Today!

During the recent election campaign President Obama had it both ways.  He would go from campaign stop to campaign stop announcing that he supports the construction of the final segment of the Keystone pipeline (the segment going from mid-Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico) without mentioning to build that part of the pipeline no federal permission was needed.

On the other hand he made the progressive environmentalists happy by withholding Federal blessing for the only part of the pipeline that needs his approval. The approximately 50 yards of the north to south pipeline which crosses the Canadian/US international border. Once that segment is approved the pipeline could take the Canadian oil down to the gulf where it will be refined.

The Keystone pipeline would create thousands of additional jobs in construction and refining the new energy. It would also help to stabilize oil prices that will enable companies that use fossil fuels (that would be almost all of them) to count on cheaper energy for years to come.

The President's continued delay of this project makes one wonder why he agreed to give Brazilian Owned Oil Company Petrobras up to $10 Billion dollars to look for oil off the Brazilian coast, but prevents the development of the US owned Oil business via the Keystone pipeline from being built. (I am sure the fact that George Soros made a lot of money off the Brazil deal had nothing to do with his decision.

The U.S. State Department finishes this week collecting public reaction to their draft environmental statement on the Keystone XL pipeline it issued in March. Consumer Energy Alliance is a strong advocate for advancing the KXL pipeline as part of an "all of the above" American energy plan. Along with its state based partners, CEA recruited over 300,000 people to petition the U.S. State Department in support of the KXL pipeline. There is a strong support, both in public opinion and among those directly impacted by the pipeline's construction.

 The numbers make the case:

• $5.3 billion is the amount of money TransCanada will invest in the United States to build the Keystone XL pipeline.

• 300,000 is the number of Americans Consumer Energy Alliance and its grassroots partners recruited in April to petition the U.S. State Department in favor of building the Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport up to 830,000 barrels of oil a day to U.S. refineries.

• 50,000 people living along the route of the proposed pipeline who told the U.S. State Department they are in favor of the jobs and energy security created by the Keystone XL project.

• 42,100 is the number of new jobs which will be created by Keystone XL construction according to the U.S. State Department. TransCanada says it will hire welders, mechanics, electricians, pipefitters, laborers, safety coordinators, and heavy equipment operators to complete construction.

• 1,676 days have passed since TransCanada first applied for a presidential permit to build the KXL pipeline.

• 200 state legislators have written to the U.S. State Department with their support for the Keystone XL pipeline.

• 66 percent of Americans support building the Keystone XL pipeline. Five national polls have a majority of Americans supporting Keystone XL.

• 62 U.S. Senators voted in April to support Keystone XL.

• 43 Economic development officers from along the route are supporting Keystone XL.

• 37 Mayors and city council members living along the route who support Keystone XL.

• 8 individual state legislatures have passed resolutions, in at least one House, supporting the Keystone XL pipeline.

• 1 is the number of U.S. Presidents who have visited the construction site of the Gulf Coast Pipeline Project. 

Enough is enough.  If Barack Obama truly wishes to turn around the economy he will approve the Keystone Pipeline TODAY.