Vitter: Obama Keystone Veto is Political Spite

Statement

U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.) today made the following statement in response to President Obama's decision to veto legislation passed by Congress approving the Keystone XL pipeline. The Senate approved bipartisan legislation authorizing the Keystone XL Pipeline on January 29, 2015, and the House of Representatives passed the legislation on February 11, 2015. Vitter is an original co-sponsor of the legislation in the Senate.

"Republicans and Democrats in both chambers of Congress have voted overwhelmingly to support the Keystone Pipeline, as well as the potential jobs and economic benefits that go along with it," Vitter said. "After six years of equivocating, today President Obama has proven that he puts his political agenda ahead of bipartisan compromise, job creation, and energy independence. Vetoing this legislation is just sheer political spite."

Vitter was the first member of the Senate to introduce legislation to expedite the Keystone XL pipeline in 2011. The Keystone XL pipeline is expected to carry 1,000,000 barrels of North American oil supplies per day to U.S. refineries. Its construction will create over 20,000 direct jobs and over 100,000 indirect jobs.

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