Capitol Corner: President Needs to Get Serious About Keystone, Jobs

Statement

For over five years, pressure on the Obama Administration has been mounting to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. A recent Rasmussen poll shows that 61% of Americans approve of the pipeline and the State Department said the environmental impact would be minimal, if any. It finally seems like everyone is on board and the project is ready for groundbreaking. The only thing standing in between the pipeline and thousands of jobs is President Obama.

In mid-April, the Obama Administration announced it was going to indefinitely delay making a decision on the pipeline, or at least until after the mid-term elections. It hasn't come as too much of a surprise because it seems like the Obama Administration is just doing what it does best: issuing delays.

If the Obama Administration is as concerned with creating jobs and stimulating the economy as they claim, then this is the place to start. Getting the oil from Canada down to American refineries creates opportunity for exports and more American business. It not only grows business, but most importantly, the keystone pipeline would support over 42,000 direct and indirect jobs nationwide. In a still recovering economy, these jobs are crucial and any opportunity to get more Americans back to work shouldn't be delayed for over five years.

It has been a long road so far, and House Republicans will continue to fight for an all-of-the-above, energy independent America. It is time the president ends the drama surrounding the pipeline and gets serious about American energy. The stalling has to end, and the president must allow Americans to get to work. It's time the administration stops talking about job growth, and starts acting on it.

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