When Congressional Republicans didn’t get what they were looking for — a rollback of the Affordable Care Act — sending the federal government into shutdown mode, the party began to ask itself what it could get out of the budget crisis deal, adding the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline to the deal.
The pipeline, being pushed by the foreign TransCanada Corporation, has been in the spotlight for years, being sold as a project that would benefit American workers and lead to lower prices at the pump — both claims that have been disputed.
The 1,700-mile pipeline would pump more than 830,000 gallons of tar sands oil each day from Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico, leaving those living in its path furious over eminent domain land grabs by a foreign corporation. Considering that the purpose of the pipeline is to create a path for Canadian tar sands to reach the global market, the argument that the pipeline will lead to cheaper gas prices in the U.S. has also been questioned.
Because it begins in Canada, the pipeline requires presidential approval — at this point, the Obama administration is waiting on a State Department environmental impact study before issuing a decision.
As early as September, Congressional Republicans were considering using the approval of Keystone as leverage to get what they wanted out of the U.S. budget deal.
“We feel like this is our only option,” Rep. Lee Terry, (R-Neb.), told the New York Times. Terry went on to tell the publication that his colleagues were, at that time, working on legislation that would include pipeline approval in exchange for raising the debt ceiling.
Now those Americans whose paychecks have been taken away due to the shutdown and whose medical services have been delayed are pointing the finger at the neighbor to the north, questioning Canada’s role in the U.S. shutdown. In all, the positions of some 800,000 American workers have been put on hold because of the shutdown.
Calling out Canada?
San Francisco billionaire Tom Steyer has been at the forefront of the anti-Keystone pipeline front, spending a portion of his fortune to counter TransCanada’s media blitz.
Now Steyer is calling out Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, questioning him over the Canadian government’s role in the recent push by the GOP to insert Keystone XL approval into a potential budget bill.
In a letter to Harper, Steyer questioned the Canadians’ involvement, asking if Harper’s office was “working hand in hand with TransCanada to try and exploit the current situation in Washington, D.C., at the expense of the expense of the American people.”
Harper has issued no official response.
Steyer’s letter comes just one week after Harper’s appearance in New York with the Canadian American Business Council. During an open meeting, Harper stated his government’s relentless attitude toward Keystone approval, a project vital to the flow of the nation’s Alberta tar sands oil resources.
“My view is you don’t take no for an answer,” Harper said in response to a question over what would happen if President Obama rejected Keystone XL. “This won’t be final until it’s approved and we will keep pushing forward.”
Now Steyer and the anti-Keystone campaigners are wondering if that push is continuing in the midst of a federal government shutdown, one that has put even the IRS call center on hold.
While prompted by the addition of Keystone approval into the debate over whether or not the House will pass a budget bill, Steyer also noted the timing of the conversation — one that is being accompanied by another round of TransCanada’s pro-Keystone XL advertisements.
“News of this advertising campaign comes in the context of House Republicans having closed down the U.S. government as well as threatening to oppose the extension of hte country’s debt limit unless certain demands were met,” Steyer wrote. “Including in the original list of House Republican demands was that the Obama administration grant approval for the building of the Keystone XL pipeline.”
Steyer’s letter is being criticized among those who claim TransCanada has been put in an even more compromised position in the midst of the government shutdown.
Gary Doer, Canadian ambassador to the U.S., told CTV that the shutdown could hurt TransCanada in the long run, and that TransCanada is still waiting on President Obama to make his final decision.
“We respect the process in the White House with the president’s authority on presidential permits, we respect the technical work that is done at the State Department, which has really pointed to the advantages of moving ahead with this pipeline,” he told Doer.
Where did that come from?
While Doer is touting his stance that Canadian officials had nothing to do with the insertion of Keystone’s approval into the House budget bill, the reality is that it’s there — and if approved, TransCanada and Canadian officials would likely celebrate, as they’d get what they’ve been lobbying for.
Rep. Terry told the New York Times that Republicans wouldn’t settle for a commitment to look at approving Keystone — instead, they would require a signed, sealed and delivered promise to build the Canadian pipeline.
Democrats, of course, oppose this move, calling it out as a dirty political ploy.
“The president has demonstrated his fidelity to the State Department finishing its review, as part of the transparent and rigorous process that will determine whether the pipeline is in the best interests of the United States,” White House spokesperson Josh Earnest told the New York Times. “That’s how this merit-based determination will be made.”
Regardless, the U.S. government has already been shut down, and as of Oct. 17 could begin to default on its financial obligations, contributing to unease among American constituents calling on legislators to settle a deal.
This isn’t the first time the Keystone pipeline approval campaign has been injected into the U.S. political scene. When Obama was running for his second term, pro-Keystone advocates, which include union workers, pressured the president to change his stance, claiming it would be a boost to the American economy.
The president hasn’t bowed to the pressure yet. However, in a recent address to the nation, he stated that Keystone will be approved only if it is proven to not have a direct correlation to a contribution to climate change.
This came after the State Department released a preliminary report on Keystone XL, stating that it would technically not have an impact on climate change. In March, Mother Jones released a report, indicating those who were behind the State Department-commissioned study had previously worked for TransCanada, calling into question the independence of the entire ordeal.