Statement from Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) President Dennis Slater following President Obama’s Keystone Pipeline veto:
I was disappointed – but not surprised – to learn that President Obama has vetoed legislation that would have begun long-overdue construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. By any measure, the Keystone Pipeline is good – good for the economy and good for the equipment manufacturing industry. It’s also the safer option for the environment, compared to alternatives.
At this point, Keystone has been relentlessly studied and scrutinized by the government and outside groups. And the evidence is in: Keystone would not pose a meaningful threat to the environment, and it would promise to create thousands of jobs in construction and manufacturing. The alternative to constructing this vital piece of U.S. energy infrastructure is the continued transportation of crude oil by rail. As we’ve seen recently in West Virginia, this is a volatile and potentially hazardous solution that further diminishes our national rail capacity
I urge Congress to redouble its efforts to pursue construction of the Keystone Pipeline and for President Obama to end his obstruction of this commonsense project.
From NBC:
Obama Vetoes Keystone XL Pipeline Bill
President Barack Obama has officially vetoed a bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, marking his third rejection of congressionally approved legislation during his six years in office.
The president notified the Senate of the veto on Tuesday afternoon.
The veto, which was long expected, came the same day that the GOP-dominated Congress formally submitted the bill to Obama, although it was passed by both chambers of Congress before the week-long Presidents Day recess.
The White House has said that the president opposes the bill because it would cut short an ongoing review process of the project by the State Department. Obama has also expressed some skepticism about how many jobs the pipeline would create.
Congress could override the veto if two-thirds of both the House and the Senate vote to do so, but lawmakers aren’t expected to reach that threshold.
Republicans have accused the president of bowing to pressure from environmental activists who oppose the project. These advocates say the pipeline could cause spills and argue that it would increase the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels.