Democrats Joining G.O.P. on Pipeline
President Obama is finding himself increasingly boxed in on the Keystone pipeline fight as more Congressional Democrats are joining Republicans in backing the project, which has strong labor support and could generate significant numbers of jobs in economically hard-hit states.
On Wednesday, the House passed a short-term transportation bill that included a provision that would pave the way for the construction of the next stage of the oil pipeline, a measure that Mr. Obama has said he would veto. The bill passed 293 to 127, with 69 Democrats supporting it.
It is the fourth time the House has passed a measure to expedite the project; one failed narrowly in the Senate only after Mr. Obama personally lobbied some Democrats to vote no. With the House vote, Mr. Obama finds himself, for the first time in his presidency, threatening a veto on a significant piece of legislation that enjoys the support of an increasing number of Democrats, as well as the vast majority of Republicans in Congress.
With gas prices sticking near $4 a gallon, unemployment high in many states and demonstrable support for the project in numerous polls, many Democrats — especially those from states where pipelines are commonplace — are beginning to sound almost indistinguishable from Speaker John A. Boehner, who called Mr. Obama “increasingly isolated” in his opposition to expanding the project.
Representative Dennis Cardoza, a California Democrat who voted for the House measure, said he would be happy to vote to override a veto if needed. He said: “I think the president has made a very serious mistake here. I’m still supporting the president. But we have to do what’s right.”
full: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/20/us/politics/democrats-join-gop-on-pipeline-vote.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
with friends like these.................
Wasn't the jobs estimate on this project overestimated? Nobody can wait for the EPA to finish their environmental review? The environmental consequences of the pipeline and the people whom reside around it will be there LONG after the influx of jobs (which are mostly temporary) are gone and, as we know, the oil and gas companies always seem to be having *problems* with their pipelines, refineries, etc. The pipeline will also have no discernible effect on gas prices as the oil won't be mandated to be sold here in the US unless, as another poster pointed out, we build a new refinery here and Congress makes it so (ha-ha). There *should* be nothing wrong with asking them to wait until the EPA finishes their review and determines whether or not the pipeline is going to be harmful to the environment. I know, of course, Republican Ferengi Alliance doesn't care one wit about the environment and would gut the Earth from the inside out if profit could be had but any self-respecting Democrat should know better IMHO.
It may be "popular" project but that doesn't make it good.
