Rep. Bill Flores (R-Texas) says building the Keystone XL Pipeline will create thousands of good jobs, greater energy independence and lower energy prices, but it will require President Obama to prioritize working families over liberal special interests.
Flores is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and is chairman of the Republican Study Committee. Prior to his election to Congress in 2010, he was president and CEO of Phoenix Exploration Company in the oil and gas industry.
The congressman says projects like this are vital in numerous ways to American families that need relief. Flores and most other GOP lawmakers are at the party retreat in Pennsylvania. American Enterprise Institute President Arthur Brooks addressed the group Thursday morning and stated that the wealthiest Americans have seen seven percent growth since Obama took office while the bottom 50 percent have seen any growth at all.
Flores says that frustration is compounded by the fact that many costs for families are on the rise.
“During that same period of time, their cost of health care is higher. Their cost of education is higher. Their cost of energy is higher. The Obama economy has really put a squeeze on these folks and bills like the Keystone Pipeline are the exact solution we need to be able to give those families an opportunity to improve their economic position. I’m hoping the president will one day see that and he’ll start to stand with them, instead of standing in their way,” said Flores.
In recent weeks, President Obama has downplayed the potential benefits of the pipeline, saying it’s Canadian oil that will be largely shipped to other countries after being refined along the U.S. gulf coast. He further states that the pipeline will only create about 35 long-term jobs once construction is over.
Flores strongly disputes that characterization of the pipeline’s impact, especially when it comes to jobs.
“There would be thousands of jobs during the construction of the pipeline. There would be lots of jobs to continue to operate the pipeline after it’s constructed,” said Flores. “That oil is going to be refined in U.S. refineries, and that creates thousands of jobs for hard-working American families,” he said.
And Flores says the benefits wouldn’t end there.
“The first thing it would mean is for every barrel of oil that came out of Canada, from our friendly North American neighbor, it would displace a barrel of oil from an unfriendly country like Venezuela or those that are having turmoil in the Middle East,” said Flores.
In addition to new jobs, he says it would also mean lower bills.
“Probably the most important from an American economy aspect is that it will lower the cost of energy, particularly for gasoline and for heating our homes and for our air fares and things like that,” he said. “Whenever you’re spending less money on energy , that’s more money in the pockets of families and that means they can start to re-enjoy the American dream,” said Flores.
On January 9, the House of Representatives passed Keystone 266-153. The Senate is likely to pass the bill next week, with at least 63 and possibly as many as 65 votes. Flores says GOP Senate leaders are working hard to get to 67 votes, which would be enough to override a veto.
“I’ve had some good conversations with the senators that are here at the GOP retreat this week. They are trying to find enough votes to get to 67 on the procedural votes so they know they’ve got a veto-proof group of people supporting the bill,” said Flores.
The congressman says the simplest way forward is for President Obama to acknowledge the will of the vast majority of Americans and sign the bill.
“What I hope will happen is that the president will put the American people ahead of special interests and that he will sign the bill and we can create thousands of great-paying American jobs by doing this,” said Flores.
Earlier this week, House Energy and Commerce Committee Vice Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) predicted that Republicans and enough Democrats would come together to override an Obama veto if necessary. Flores isn’t so sure, but he believes Republicans can make progress either way.
“The worst case is we can show the American people how he’s against it, how he puts special interests ahead of them. In the best case, we might be able to get enough votes to stand with those American families and approve this thing,” he said.
Flores says his four years in Washington have shown him Democrats are all to willing to do the wrong thing for the wrong reasons.
“One of the thing I’ve learned is that all too often there are too many people, particularly those on the left that put their special interests ahead of American families that are struggling. That’s what causes me to be sanguine about this,” said Flores.
