Republicans Primed to Up the Ante on Keystone XL Pipeline, Gas Prices

U.S. Rep. John Kline, the Second District Congressman from Minnesota, ripped the Obama administration’s handling of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline in a campaign email on Friday. The statement foreshadows a renewed battle over attempts to clear the way for construction to begin on the estimated $7 billion mega-project when the House reconvenes next week.

President Obama has previously said he would delay a decision on support for that portion of the project from Alberta to Nebraska until 2013 in order to complete a comprehensive environmental analysis. He has since approved construction of the southern portion of the pipeline to run from Oklahoma to Texas.

Opponents of the project say the Keystone XL pipeline is an environmental crime in process, greatly inflates the number of expected jobs created and would actually raise prices at the pump further.

In the email, Kline contends that high gas prices are stalling a struggling economy and contends that a new Wall Street Journal report, which outlines what it says are Canadian leaders’ plans to “bypass” the United States for Asian markets, increases the pressure to move approval for the project forward.

"In other words, energy and jobs that would have benefited American families and small businesses will now be shipped overseas – courtesy of the Obama administration."

His statement echoes a press release from the House Energy & Commerce Committee Republicans that states “In light of today’s news out of Canada, the urgency is greater now than ever.”

Kline also that beat the high gas price drum, as did Minnesota’s Sixth District Representative , continuing a growing theme among Republicans of spotlighting the bane of drivers everywhere while framing Obama’s Keystone XL resistance as an impediment to improvement.

Combined, the announcements help to solidify ‘pain at the pump’ as a Republican mantra leading up to the November elections.

Kline has been a runaway winner in the Second District, which includes Rosemount, since first being elected in 2002. The recent mandated redistricting has added some additional Democratic-leaning constituency to the voting rolls and their intent to seek their party’s nomination to run against Kline in hopes of reclaiming the seat.

Kline’s full message from the email:

Washington Ignores Opportunity to Increase Energy Independence

As you know, rising gas prices are hurting everyone – families, commuters, job seekers, and small businesses. And it is more than the higher cost of filling up our tanks. High gas prices drive up the cost of everything from food to clothing, and stall an already struggling economy. In Washington, I am working to pass reforms and remove roadblocks to American energy that will provide relief at the pump and create jobs.

One way to increase our energy supply and create tens of thousands of jobs is to complete the Keystone pipeline to transport oil from Canada to America. Unfortunately, the President halted the process. Recently, I have sponsored two measures to address the President’s objections, but both bills were blocked by the U.S. Senate.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Canadian leaders are acting quickly to “bypass” the United States, building the infrastructure needed to ship their energy (and new jobs) to Asian countries:

“Currently, almost all Canadian crude exports travel to the U.S. … Canadian government officials, meanwhile, have boosted support for westward-flowing pipelines in order to diversify toward Asian markets. That effort accelerated after the White House earlier this year rejected a big pipeline-expansion project, TransCanada Corp.’s TRP -0.86% Keystone XL, which would have sent more Alberta crude south of the border.”

In other words, energy and jobs that would have benefited American families and small businesses will now be shipped overseas – courtesy of the Obama administration.

Gas prices have already doubled on President Obama’s watch, and his policies are making it harder for small businesses to hire new workers. Thankfully, the state of Nebraska is taking action (without the Obama administration) to make the Keystone pipeline a reality. And in the coming weeks, the House will vote again to insist on swift approval of Keystone XL.

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