Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) didn’t hold anything back when he called the Senate’s passage of a bill that authorized the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline crazy.
In a statement Sen. Sanders said, “With the scientific community telling us loudly and clearly that we must transform our energy system away from fossil fuels if we are to combat climate change, it is totally crazy for the Congress to support the production and transportation of some of the dirtiest oil on the planet.”
The passage of this bill was crazy on many different. In terms of politics, it was absolutely insane for Republicans to waste nearly a month of time debating and passing a bill that the president has vowed to veto on numerous occasions. It has been well known for weeks that Republicans in both the House and Senate did not have the votes required to override President Obama’s veto. With gas prices plunging to a low point, the main Republican argument that Keystone XL would make America more energy independent (it won’t) has fallen on deaf ears.
In terms of politics, it would have made more sense to pass a bill that the president might actually sign instead of wasting precious time on a bill that is nothing more than a symbolic gesture. The Keystone XL bill turned into a quagmire of bad politics that is another Republican backed step away from real job creation legislation.
The main reason Republicans brought this bill up first was that they thought they could pass it quickly and set up a confrontation with the president that would allow them to flex the new political muscle. What the Keystone debacle revealed is that Democrats and the president are still able to outmuscle the new Republican Congressional majority.
As an energy policy, the Keystone XL bill is an absurd step backwards. At a time when the country should be moving away from fossil fuels. The decline in gas prices has served as a reminder of one of the basic laws of economics. Decreased demand will lower costs. There is no good reason to construct the pipeline when none of the oil will be sold to the United States. The oil is not American oil. It is destined to be sold on the global market. It is crazy to pretend that the pipeline contains any real energy benefits for the American people.
The Keystone XL pipeline is an even worse environmental policy. The pipeline will only add to the risk of an accident or an environmental disaster while doing nothing to combat climate change.
Bernie Sanders spoke the truth. The Senate made a crazy move by passing Keystone XL, but 62 senators once again put empty political gestures ahead of good policy for the American people.
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
9 Democratic senators who voted for the KXL pipeline:
Bennet-D-CO
Carper D-DE
Casey D-PA
Donnelly D-IN
Heitlkamp D-ND
Manchin D-WV
McCaskill D-MO
Tester D-MT
Warner D-VA
Democrats, please remember, at election time, these traitors to the middle class and the environment. It is very apparent that they can be bought.
who the HELL voted NO WAY to FACTS?
I knew Boxer and Feinstein wouldn’t in that bunch of traitors
Sarah Palin
Someone got oiled real good in these states where the 9 Dems are voting for the keystone pipeline right throughout their states!!! I smell a dead rat here!
Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas….
Tester MT is the TRUE idiot
Who knows what they’re doing to “dispose” of all the leftover “COKE” in Port Arthur, Texas. But again unregulated Texas could care less.
This is a real problem with the dems, they just can’t stick together, unlike the repubs fillabustering everything, WTF is wrong. You cant get anything accomplished if you don’t work TOGETHER. Nine traders to the people of this country. Get rid of them come next election.
if someone gave me the highest possible health care so i would survive or as long as possible and told me I would have it forced on me and i’d also be flayed every day of my life or I could vote republican I would choose the flaying.
I would rather be tortured for the rest of my days than consider voting for ANY and ALL republicans and the problem is not their “messagenger” it’s their underlying virtues and values so it applies to anyone who believes what the republicans do, including democrats who resemble them
As I’ve said before, look at the investors in TransCanada, their subsidiaries and sub-contractors. At the head of the list is John Boehner. My guess is the 9 dumocraps that supported the measure will be found on those lists somewhere.
The facts are there are a number of lawsuits that must be cleared before construction can begin – people do not want to sell their land nor live near a pipeline. They are challenging eminent domain proceedings that only benefit a foreign government. The lawyers in the cases say litigation could take years. The whole scenario is to show the American public that our president is not willing to work with Congress. It seems even the stupid are now getting a clue that this is still Republican obstruction at work.
They’re trying to sell it as a jobs bill. They are counting on their idiot constituents to continue support. It appears that 67% or so of citizens are opposed to the pipeline. YEAH!
What does the GOP stand for? Grand Oil Pipeline? Come on now!!
First off, there are some 50+ pipelines coming into our country from Canada. Why do we need another? Would it be because one company, Koch Industries, owns a huge stake in the Canadian oil sands? No! You don’t say?
Secondly, Republicans think Americans are really really stupid (they are half right, republicans do get elected). Letting this oil get sold to foreign nations lowers the supply here in our country thereby raising the price of gas for Americans. Yet the GOP keeps trumpeting that this pipeline is going to lower the price of gas. It’s nonsense!!!
How can they look at any Native American in their eyes? Take, take, take, more than you need is GREED…
What would make this any different than the past 400 years?
Thanks for covering this, Jason. And thanks also for showing that — as always — Bernie has our backs. Run Bernie Run!
What is wrong with these people?
0$$$0
Mostly Demos in red states but still they should vote on what is best for America, not the Kochs and Canadians.
and Clinton’s blunder created 9.11. So what? Both parties are responsible for EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING! Stop dividing people on this stuff. We’re under attack and that’s the end of it. Hillary Clinton voted for war too. So what?
VETO VETO VETO!!!!!
You got it!!Reynardine moola, money, and men and women willing to take it. I wonder just how much this vote was worth?
Well republicans are looking at that billion dollars the Kochs will spend on primaries and the general. Democrats are just cowards because no matter how they vote the Reich wing will be coming after them anyway. Just ask Mark Pryor who voted for everything the NRA wanted and how did they repay him? Ran ads saying he was anti-gun
Chris, I really have to call you on Clinton’s blunder?? Seems to me it was GwB (shrub) who missed and is responsible for (911) Clinton, warned him of something going to happen. GWB decided to kiss and hold hands with the Saudi’s. (there were Saudi’s who were involved with this) shrub, Cheney and co. just wanted war at any cost. Mostly the American’s who fought it and our country.
Actually it was the god king Reagan who armed Bin Laden in the early 80’s. But who needs history when we can have HIS-STORY
The Keystone XL pipeline isn’t good for Canadians either… no Canadian jobs, virtually no tax income for Canada, virtually no benefit for anyone anywhere.
Kochs on the other hand… yes, they will personally see benefits.
As will Boehner if it is true that he has investments in the Canadian tar sands and in the pipeline. I’ve read that several places.
Get out from under your tin foil hat.
Yes many democrats voted for it based on Dumyas LIES, LIES, LIES.
His entire APPOINTED presidency was based a on LIES, deceat and cheating.
What happened to ethics in DC?Why was Boehner forced to recuse himself from even discussingKeystone?GOP GET OUR PROFITS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
MADE AN ERROR RE BOEHNER’S ETHICS. IT should be “why is he not forced to recuse himself from any Keystone discussion.
I apologize for Senator Casey. :( We have to primary this guy in the next election.
These people are psychopaths. There are over 3 million in the US alone, and constitute a high percentage of Congress. The majority of people do not know how to identify the disorder. http://petition.NoPsycho.Org