46 Days Left as Obama Continues to Block Keystone Jobs
While Workers Wait on Obama to End Bureaucratic Delay of Job Creation, Current and Former Obama Officials Call for Keystone Approval
Obama’s former “car czar” Steven Rattner yesterday joined a growing number of current and former Obama officials urging the president to stop blocking the creation of tens of thousands of new American energy jobs:
FORMER OBAMA CAR CZAR STEVEN RATTNER: “WE NEED THE ENERGY, WE NEED THE JOBS AND IT CAN BE DONE IN A SAFE WAY”: “HAROLD FORD JR: ‘You think the Keystone, the pipeline, that the president should approve that before the year’s up? Do you think, is there a job creating mechanism?’ STEVEN RATTNER: ‘I’m not an expert, but my instinct is he should approve it. My instinct is we need the energy, we need the jobs and it can be done in a safe way.’”(Remarks from Steven Rattner, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”, 1/5/2012)
FMR. TOP WHITE HOUSE ECONOMIST AUSTAN GOOLSBEE: KEYSTONE OPPONENTS “NAÏVE”: (Sean Pasternak, “Goolsbee Says U.S. Opponents of TransCanada’s Keystone Pipeline are Naive,” Bloomberg, 11/28/2011)
MORE GOOLSBEE: CANADIAN TAR SANDS WILL BE DEVELOPED WHETHER AMERICA GETS INVOLVED OR NOT: “ ‘It’s a bit naïve to think the tar sands would not be developed if they don’t build that pipeline,’ said Goolsbee, speaking today in Toronto at the Economic Club of Canada. ‘Eventually, it’s going to be built. It may go to the Pacific, it may go through Nebraska, but it’s going to be built somewhere.’”(Sean Pasternak, “Goolsbee Says U.S. Opponents of TransCanada’s Keystone Pipeline are Naive,” Bloomberg, 11/28/2011)
OBAMA ENERGY SEC. STEPHEN CHU: “Energy Secretary Steven Chu signaled this week that he supports a controversial proposed oil sands pipeline project being considered by the Obama administration.” (Andrew Restuccia, “Chu Signals Support for Oil Pipeline,” The Hill, 8/31/2011)
Rattner joins a long list of job creators and local officials who have endorsed the Keystone pipeline as a major job creation opportunity that will strengthen America’s energy independence. What will it take for President Obama to listen?:
EASTERN PLAINS RESOURCE CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT OFFICE:“Eastern Plains RC&D Council considers this project to be a vital link in securing energy supplies for the United States. Oil and natural gas must continue to supply over half of U.S. energy needs as we transition to more diverse energy supply portfolio. Canada is a valued trading partner and our most reliable supplier of foreign-based crude oil. The Keystone project will have the added benefit of potential links to growing domestic supplies of crude oil here in Montana and North and South Dakota.” (Eastern Plains RC&D Area, Inc. letter to U.S. State Department, 6/8/2010)
KAY COUNTY, OKLAHOMA COMMISSIONERS: “As county officials from the State of Oklahoma, we strongly encourage the U.S. Department of State to approve an energy infrastructure project that not only will strengthen long-term energy security in the United States, but also will provide a powerful private sector economic stimulus to the communities along the pipeline route during its construction at a time when Our economy continues to struggle.” (Kay County, OK Board of Commissioners letter to U.S. State Department, 6/8/2010)