Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush said boosting the economy would mean supporting the oil and gas “revolution” and approving the Keystone XL shale oil pipeline from Canada to the U.S.
The former Florida governor invoked Keystone XL when asked about his economic plan during the Fox News Republican debate in Cleveland. Bush framed approving the pipeline as part of his economic plan if elected president when compared to Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
Fox hosted the first Republican debate, featuring the 10 leading GOP hopefuls, based on current nationwide polls: real estate magnate Donald Trump; Bush himself; Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee; neurosurgeon Ben Carson; Texas Sen. Ted Cruz; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio; Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
Bush was the only candidate to raise the Keystone XL project during the debate. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was the only candidate to invoke Keystone during Thursday’s earlier debate among seven of the second-tier Republicans running for president.
Bush said he would “embrace the energy revolution” and approve Keystone XL to fix the economy and stoke job creation. He said Clinton couldn’t approve the pipeline while serving as secretary of state, but he would as president. The State Department has been reviewing the project for more than six years.
His comments were brief, but it shows that the pipeline continues to be a touchstone issue among Republicans when attempting to frame energy development as an economic engine. It also shows that oil and gas policy will remain a theme in campaigns when energy issues are addressed.
President Obama has blocked GOP legislative efforts to approve the pipeline that would transport oil sands from Alberta, Canada, to U.S. refineries on the Gulf Coast. Discussion in Congress has been sparse for months after Obama vetoed a bill to approve the project. Now, approving the pipeline project is seen as a political nonstarter that has only managed to create a wedge between Democrats and Republicans.
Republicans continue to support the project as a means of creating jobs from the energy boom stemming from shale oil and gas development.
Walker also raised energy as a priority of his economic agenda, but he framed it as an “all-of-the-above strategy,” which has been associated with Obama’s administration, which includes wind and solar as well as oil and gas.
