Will House Dems Let Obama Send Thousands of Jobs to China to Appease Activist Democrat Donors?

January 18, 2012

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)

Will Kissell Let Obama Send Thousands of Jobs to China to Appease Activist Democrat Donors?
North Carolina Democrat Refuses to Stand Up for Energy Independence & Thousands of American Jobs as Obama Moves to Block Keystone XL Pipeline

Washington — Even though President Obama’s own jobs council stressed the importance of energy jobs and energy independence this week, Larry Kissell and his fellow Washington Democrats are buckling under pressure from their radical base and preparing to send these thousands of jobs from the Keystone XL pipeline project overseas to countries like China instead.

“If Larry Kissell continues to march in lock-step with the Obama Administration, it could cost American middle-class families thousands of jobs just so Democrats can appease some wealthy anti-energy donors,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “Even after President Obama’s own jobs council highlighted the importance of energy jobs this week, Kissell and his party are making it clear that they value giving radical anti-energy activists their political payback more than creating American jobs for middle-class families.”

Kissell is refusing to stand up for creating middle-class jobs instead of radical Democrat activists who have no interest in economic recovery. Kissell and Obama are now poised to reward anti-energy activists and donors backing their reelections, and in the process destroy thousands of opportunities for Americans in need of these shovel-ready jobs.

Even President Obama’s own jobs council is highlighting the importance of energy sector jobs for economic recovery:

“‘The Council recognizes the important safety and environmental concerns surrounding these types of projects, but now more than ever, the jobs and economic and energy security benefits of these energy projects require us to tackle the issues head-on and to expeditiously, though cautiously, move forward on projects that can support hundreds of thousands of jobs,’ the report says.” (Andrew Restuccia, “Obama’s jobs council report says ‘Drill,’” The Hill’s E2 Wire Blog, 1/17/12)

But the Obama Administration has decided to ignore their own jobs council and block the project under pressure from anti-energy activists who fill Democrat campaign coffers:

“The Obama administration will announce this afternoon it is rejecting a Canadian firm’s application for a permit to build and operate a massive oil pipeline across the U.S.-Canada border, according to sources who have been briefed on the matter.” (Juliet Eilperin and Steven Mufson, “Obama administration to reject Keystone pipeline,” The Washington Post, 1/18/12)

The thousands of energy jobs the pipeline would have brought will simply be shipped overseas instead if action isn’t taken soon:

“That has particularly been the case after the U.S. State Department late last year delayed a decision on a pipeline proposed to carry oil from Alberta to the U.S. Gulf Coast. The government of 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)

Larry Kissell and President Obama are making their priorities clear, especially after their own jobs council pointed to energy sector opportunities for economic growth. Kissell can either stand up now and save thousands of shovel-ready manufacturing jobs or help President Obama block the project to appease wealthy Democrat activists instead.

Will House Dems Let Obama Send Thousands of Jobs to China to Appease Activist Democrat Donors? http://ow.ly/8xXYz #madeinwdc

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