Calling the Obama administration’s attempts to accommodate a Republican investigation into President Obama’s rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline “pitiful,” a House committee Friday subpoenaed Secretary of State John Kerry for all communications regarding the November decision.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, said Kerry is not cooperating with his panel’s investigation into Obama’s decision to reject the application to build the pipeline, which would have connected the Canadian tar sands to the Gulf Coast, after a seven-year review.
“Producing mostly publicly available documents to the committee and calling it responsive is pitiful,” Chaffetz said. “It demonstrates a contempt of Congress’ constitutional right to conduct oversight. We will use every tool available to obtain the information we need to properly and fully investigate this matter.”
Chaffetz has sent multiple letters to the State Department asking the agency to accommodate his request, but the agency says it has provided all it can to help the committee.
Friday’s subpoena marks the second in a year after Chaffetz subpoenaed the agency last year on the review process for the now-rejected pipeline project. Obama said he rejected the pipeline because of concerns about it exacerbating climate change.
