Bernie Sanders Applauds President Obama For Standing Up To Republicans On Keystone XL

Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 01:39 pm

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is applauding President Obama for standing up to Republicans by promising to the veto their bill that would authorize the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.

In a statement, Sen. Sanders said,

I applaud the president for standing up to Republicans trying to ram through Congress a bill to let a Canadian oil company ship some of the dirtiest oil on the planet across the United States on its way to overseas markets.

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Climate change is real. It is caused by human activities. It already is causing devastating problems and if we don’t transform our energy system those problems will become much worse in years to come. Our country must lead the world in combating the planetary crisis of global warming. We must not reject science and set a terrible example by encouraging the drilling of oil that creates more carbon emissions than conventional oil and poses the risk of extremely damaging oil spills.

If we are serious about protecting the planet and improving our economy, we must focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy, not a continued dependence on fossil fuels.

The first sentence of Sen. Sanders’s statement sums up the situation perfectly. Republicans are trying to shove a bill through Congress that would benefit a Canadian company by allowing them to ship their dirty oil across the United States. The American people get nothing from this. The project will create a few thousand temporary jobs and few dozen permanent positions. The pipeline will not make the United States more energy independent, or lower the price of gasoline.

The best way to keep oil prices low is to use less oil. Clean energy sources are the best way for the United States to keep the demand for oil low while at the same time increasing the nation’s energy independence. President Obama has a great reason for vetoing the Republican bill that would authorize the construction of the pipeline. The legislation would not benefit the American people.

Republicans are already running into a brick wall of opposition on numerous issues. Senate opposition is being led by liberals like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren while President Obama is ready to veto any extremist path that Republicans choose to go down. This wasn’t the first time that Sanders and the president proven to be formidable allies, and it won’t be the last.

Thanks to Bernie Sanders and President Obama, Republicans may in for two very long years.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association