Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) isn’t buying the president’s rationale for once again blocking construction of the Keystone XL pipeline – so much so that he believes Obama has officially “declared a war on coal” against Americans and Kentuckians alike.
“President Obama today declared a war on coal, and thus declared a war on Kentucky jobs and our economy,” the Kentucky senator released in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “Whether it is through the retroactive denial of permits, onerous regulations on coal-fired power plants, or unreasonable environmental requirements, the policies of this Administration are threatening the very way of life that has sustained Kentucky communities for generations.”
But not to worry – Paul is ready to fight the president to protect miners and other Americans whose livelihoods depend on coal and gas production.
“As a defender of the free market of coal, I will continue to fight back against the EPA and any other federal agency whose goal is to stifle coal production,” Paul continued. “I will continue to stand up for our miners in Washington as we continue to recognizes the sacrifices they make to provide food for their families and energy for America.”
The president announced in a speech at Georgetown University Tuesday that he would only consider approving construction of the pipeline if it “doesn’t significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution.”
“Our national interest will be served only if this project doesn’t significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution,” the president said. “The net effects of the pipeline’s impact on our climate will be absolutely critical to determining whether this project can go forward.”
If constructed, the pipeline would run through America’s heartland from Canada to the Gulf Coast, potentially creating millions of jobs and revitalizing the economies of towns that suffered greatly during the recent economic recession.
This is the closest the president’s come to even allowing discussion on the issue, as he famously punted it in late 2011 until after the midterm elections. Before that, Obama left the decision on the pipeline up to his one-time political nemesis – then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – who claimed that the State Department needed more time to “undertake an in-depth assessment of potential alternative routes in Nebraska.”
