Today, the Toronto Star reported the proposed Keystone XL pipeline has surmounted yet another obstacle blocking its construction. This proposed pipeline would connect Canadian oil infrastructure with American refineries in Texas, creating an oddly unknown number of jobs – Republicans say the project will create ten times more jobs than Democrats report; the two camps continue to quibble about how long the jobs will last. Paul Krugman, long time New York Times columnist and Nobel Prize-winning economist, said “the jobs argument for the pipeline is basically a sick joke coming from people who have done all they can to destroy American jobs”. His words, not mine.
While the partisan nature of the Keystone XL pipeline debate seems like it could result from Republican congresspeople being further in the pockets of oil companies than the seagull-pandering Democrats, it’s actually more complicated than that – but not much. Plenty of Democrats favor the Keystone XL pipeline, but all the complexity will likely become irrelevant – conservative economists (of whom many remain on Criss Angel’s payroll) purporting the project will create a jobs glut has drumed up congressional support and in turn the top-down riling of constituents we’ve come to know so dearly in recent years. This, with Republicans now control both legislative houses, will spell the congressional approval of the Keystone XL pipeline and make for the first act of the 114th US Congress.
(Food for thought: Wouldn’t it be nice if citizens brought their own issues to Congress, and Congress made laws for and about those issues? Why is it the norm that Congress brings issues to the voters? I’m pretty sure the answer is corruption.)
Here’s that piece from the Toronto Star:
“WASHINGTON—The Keystone XL pipeline has passed a major procedural hurdle in the United States Congress.
The U.S. Senate has agreed to move forward on a bill that would force President Barack Obama to approve the controversial Canadian oil infrastructure.
This is the first bill to advance in the newly sworn-in Congress, and represents a demonstration of the new power wielded by the Republican Party since the midterm elections.
Similar measures had repeatedly failed in the last Senate, controlled by Democrats but this time the measure has received 63 votes — three more than required to override a filibuster.
The Senate’s Bill 1 now moves back onto the floor for additional debates, which could lead to major amendments.
But there’s one fly in the ointment for pipeline supporters:
President Barack Obama has already [signaled] he’ll veto the bill because he says it’s up to his administration, not lawmakers, to approve or reject cross-border infrastructure.”
Thankfully, that last sentence is true. Barry said he’ll veto the bill, busting out The Pen for what could be (and what likely will be) the third time in his presidency.
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