In the News

President Barack Obama on Tuesday vetoed legislation to permit construction of the Keystone XL pipeline without further administrative approval saying the bill attempted to circumvent “longstanding and proven processes” for determining if such a cross-border pipeline serves the national interest.

The veto drew a strong rebuke from members of the Arkansas congressional delegation who have uniformly backed efforts to speed construction of the pipeline that would carry up to 830,000 barrels of tar sands oil per day from Canada to refineries in the Gulf Coast of Texas.

TransCanada, which first proposed the pipeline’s construction in 2008, is still waiting approval from the Obama administration. The president has put off a decision until the Department of State completes its ongoing review.

“The idea that Congress is sidestepping the normal process is out-of-touch with reality. This project has been studied for more than six years and has been given the green light at every obstacle. Arkansans and all Americans can see that President Obama is the real hurdle to Keystone,” said Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark.

Boozman said the pipeline would bring a reliable supply of energy into our country — providing opportunity, creating jobs and lowering the cost to ship goods, products and crops.

Arkansas supporters of the pipeline point to the economic benefit it would have in Little Rock, where Welspun Tubular is storing 350 miles of steel pipeline for the project. Welspun is one of the manufacturers tapped by TransCanada to build the 36-inch-diameter steel pipe needed to complete the 1,100 miles of pipeline.

Ahead of the veto, Rep. French Hill, R-Little Rock, forwarded a letter to Obama from Welspun employees urging him to sign the bill into law.

“Though the president is set on vetoing this common sense jobs and energy bill, this support letter from hundreds of hardworking Arkansans is a stark reminder of the employment benefits of this essential project and the lives he could be affecting by his illogical decision,” Hill said.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, also issued press statements Tuesday critical of the veto.

“Today, President Obama showed his cards — instead of being willing to work with Congress in a bipartisan fashion, he folded to extreme environmental groups, putting radical interests above those of honest Americans, their jobs, and their economy,” Womack said.

The project has drawn strong opposition from environmental groups opposed to increasing use of the fossil fuel and concerned at the environmental damage of a potential pipeline spill.

“This misguided Keystone XL bill, pushed by the fossil fuel industry, has met its just and expected doom. The president got it exactly right by vetoing it,” said Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Congress should stop wasting any more time pushing dirty energy projects that would worsen climate change and threaten our air, water and land.”