Keystone XL Oil Pipeline Project Delay is Hurting Job Creation

Press Release

After the State Department confirmed today that it would delay the approval of the Keystone XL Oil Pipeline project, Congressman James Lankford (R-OK) criticized the Obama Administration for standing in the way of job creation.

By a wide bipartisan vote earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1938, the North American-Made Energy Security Act. This legislation would instruct the administration to move forward on this project without further unnecessary delays. The project is expected to create more than 20,000 jobs in the United States and greatly expand North American energy production.

"If the President wants to deliver campaign speeches about getting people back to work, then his action should match his words by getting out of the way of job creation," said Congressman Lankford. "The Keystone Pipeline project would create 20,000 quality, well-paid jobs that Americans need. During a time of nine percent unemployment, and no prospect for improvement in the near future under this administration's policies, there is absolutely no reason to block a project that will get people back to work immediately. This postponed ruling means that thousands of unemployed workers will have to wait even longer before they can re-enter the workforce.

"This no-cost solution is a win-win for the American people and the American economy" continued Congressman Lankford. "The House passed a bipartisan bill to move this project forward. The Senate should take up and pass this legislation immediately and show the President that the American people are not content with our high unemployment rate while common sense job creation projects go unutilized. The President has often stated that "we can't wait' until the next election to get America back to work. Stalling his decision until after November 2012 does not help our nation's unemployment rate right now."

The ruling from the administration is now not expected until 2013 at the earliest, a delay that is potentially more than a year from the originally-planned ruling date.

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