Score one for OPEC

To say the Obama administration’s approach to energy policy has been a disaster would be giving it too much credit.
 
Things didn’t get any better this week when President Obama rejected the Keystone XL pipeline, which I believe is a game changer for our energy security. When fully complete, the Keystone pipeline system could transport nearly 1.3 million barrels of oil per day from Alberta and North Dakota to refineries in the Midwest and Gulf Coast.
 
Three years into his presidency, Barack Obama has severely limited access to both on and off shore oil and gas reserves, pushed the most expensive environmental regulatory agenda in history and sent a half billion dollars of taxpayer money to Solyndra, a now bankrupt solar company.

Simply put, our nation has failed to move closer to our goal of lessening dependence on imported OPEC oil. In fact, we have fallen even further behind.
 

This makes the president’s decision to reject the Keystone XL pipeline even harder to understand. What logical reason could there be to say no to 20,000 new private sector jobs – potentially 100,000 indirect jobs - while our national unemployment rate remains close to 9 percent?
 
Why not embrace bolstering our energy supply with a stable source of oil from Canada and North Dakota, instead of politically tumultuous OPEC Nations? Unlike previous taxpayer-funded stimulus bills, the Keystone XL project is privately funded and does not cost taxpayers a dime.
 
There is a lot to like when you look at the facts. The president actually rejected the advice of his own jobs council, who  recommended an "all-in approach" to energy policy that includes “expediting energy projects like pipelines”.
 
Like many Americans, I was surprised by the primary reason the president stated for his denial, saying Congress forced this decision with an "arbitrary deadline."
 
If excuses were barrels of oil, this administration would have filled our strategic petroleum reserve several times over.
 
The truth of the matter is the administration had three years to reach a decision on Keystone XL, but failed to do so. If 1,093 days is not enough time, then exactly how much time do you need to secure our energy future Mr. President?
 
Congress did present the president with a 60-day deadline to either or approve or reject the pipeline, but only after he failed to act for extended periods of time. Needless to say, there was more than enough time to review and approve the pipeline, the president made a calculated political decision to reject it.
 
This begs the question of just who is in control of our nation’s energy agenda. Time and time again we hear about President Obama’s commitment to American-made energy that creates jobs and reduces our dependence on foreign oil, yet he rejects a no brainer like Keystone XL to keep his left wing environmental base happy.

The fact of the matter is that our country needs all the energy we can get to continue growing our economy, and with gas prices expected to rise in the coming months, he just sold our energy security to Iran and other OPEC nations.
 
It is in both our economic and national security interests to use the oil and gas reserves right here in our own backyard instead of continuing to send billions to OPEC nations every year. Iran, a country that is wreaking havoc with the global oil markets must be smiling at the President’s unfortunate decision. Congratulations, Mr. President, you just gave a victory to Iran.
 
This fight is not over – House Republicans and committed Democrats will continue to pressure the administration to approve this common sense project to create jobs and help secure our energy future.
 
Rep. John Sullivan (R-Okla.) represents Oklahoma’s First Congressional District. He serves as Vice Chairman of the House Energy and Power.

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