Obama Gives Lip Service to Bringing Jobs to America While he and House Dems Oppose Thousands of Shovel-Ready Keystone Jobs
| FYI, a similar version of this release below went out to the following districts: Jason Altmire (PA-04), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Tim Bishop (NY-01), Russ Carnahan (MO-03), Kathy Castor (FL-11), Ben Chandler (KY-06), David Cicilline (RI-01), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Jim Cooper (TN-05), Jim Costa (CA-21), Mark Critz (PA-12), Peter DeFazio (OR-04), John Garamendi (CA-03), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Brian Higgins (NY-27), Jim Himes (CT-04), Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15), Kathy Hochul (NY-26), Tim Holden (PA-17), Rush Holt (NJ-12), Steve Israel (NY-02), Bill Keating (MA-09), Ron Kind (WI-03), Larry Kissell (NC-08), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04), Mike McIntyre (NC-07), Jerry McNerney (CA-09), Michael Michaud (ME-02), Brad Miller (NC-13), Bill Owens (NY-23), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), Gary Peters (MI-09), Collin Peterson (MN-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), David Price (NC-04), Nick Rahall (WV-03), Loretta Sanchez (CA-46), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), Heath Shuler (NC-11), Adam Smith (WA-09), Betty Sutton (OH-16), John Tierney (MA-06), Paul Tonko (NY-21), Niki Tsongas (MA-03), Pete Visclosky (IN-01), John Yarmuth (KY-03)
Obama Gives Lip Service to Bringing Jobs to America While he and Shuler Oppose Thousands of Shovel-Ready Keystone Jobs
North Carolina Democrat Can Stand Up for American Jobs by Telling President Obama to Approve the Keystone XL Pipeline in the Next 40 Days Washington — After President Obama called upon the business community to create jobs in America yesterday, Heath Shuler should remind his Democrat leaders they only have 40 days left to either approve or reject the thousands of shovel-ready manufacturing jobs the Keystone XL pipeline would provide. “If Heath Shuler really cared about improving the economy, he would remind his Democrat colleagues that creating jobs in America could start with approving the thousands of Keystone XL pipeline jobs lying in wait,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “But so far, Shuler has opposed creating these jobs and Obama has been reluctant in the face of wealthy anti-energy activist donors, even though there are only 40 days left to either approve or reject these jobs.” On Wednesday, President Obama held a press event where he called upon the private sector to create jobs in America instead of overseas: “President Obama is meeting with executives from 14 companies Wednesday to encourage them to bring jobs back to the United States.” (Annalyn Censky, “Obama to business: Bring jobs home,” CNNMoney, 1/11/12)
But sending jobs overseas is exactly what could happen if Democrat leaders in Washington reject the thousands of Keystone XL pipeline jobs: “The government of [Canadian] Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said it would actively market its oil to Asian buyers, including China. The Canadian government has said it backs the construction of another pipeline running from Alberta to the Pacific, where oil could be loaded onto tankers bound for Asia.” (Edward Welsch, “PetroChina Buys Oil-Sands Project,” The Wall Street Journal, 1/4/12)
Instead of creating jobs for the American middle class, Democrats are beholden to the anti-energy activists who also fund their campaigns: “Some liberal donors even threatened to cut off funds to Obama’s re-election campaign to protest the project, which opponents say would transport ‘dirty oil’ that requires huge amounts of energy to extract.” (Matthew Daly, “Obama, Congress begin 2012 in oil pipeline dispute,” Associated Press, 1/3/11)
If Heath Shuler truly supports job creation over the demands of his donors, he should remind President Obama that the Keystone XL pipeline would immediately provide shovel-ready American jobs. The longer Shuler remains silent on this simple choice, the more he demonstrates he is unwilling to stand up for the creation of high quality middle-class jobs.
###
|