La. Political Leaders React To President Obama’s Veto Of Keystone Legislation

Congress sent it to him and he rejected it.

As expected, President Obama vetoed legislation sent to him by Congressional lawmakers that would have authorized construction of the Keystone Pipeline, which would pump oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast.

GOP Majority leaders in both the U.S. House and Senate both displayed their displeasure in the President's veto, with House Speaker John Boehner calling the veto a "national embarrassment" and Senate Majority Mitch McConnell saying "it's extremely disappointing that President Obama vetoed a bipartisan bill that would support thousands of good jobs and pump billions of dollars into the economy."

For the record, the House would need 281 votes to override President Obama's veto (the Keystone bill garnered 270 votes) and the Senate would need 67 votes (the Keystone bill garnered 62 votes), according to foxnews.com.

Political figures in Louisiana were quick to react to President Obama's veto.

La. Governor Bobby Jindal, who many believe will run for President in 2016, took the opportunity to let people who he believes the President is kowtowing to:

"The President made it official today - he's a pawn of the radical left. Besides kowtowing to his political base, there is no logical reason not to build the Keystone Pipeline right now. This should not be a partisan issue. The President's own administration said building it wouldn’t cause significant environmental harm.

"The President is shirking his responsibility to deliver good paying jobs to American workers. They are ready to work; they just need the Obama administration to get out of the way. The President needs to do what’s best for America, not what’s best for fringe environmentalists."

"Congress should override the President’s veto and pass the Keystone Pipeline once and for all."

 

U.S. Senator David Vitter, who's running to replace the departing Louisiana governor, expressed his disappointment in President Obama's veto:

“Republicans and Democrats in both chambers of Congress have voted overwhelmingly to support the Keystone Pipeline, as well as the potential jobs and economic benefits that go along with it,” Vitter said. “After six years of equivocating, today President Obama has proven that he puts his political agenda ahead of bipartisan compromise, job creation, and energy independence. Vetoing this legislation is just sheer political spite.”

 

Vitter says he was the first member of the Senate to introduce legislation to expedite the Keystone XL pipeline in 2011.

Louisiana's newest U.S. Senator, Bill Cassidy, pointed out how he believes the President is hurting Louisiana families by vetoing the Keystone legislation:

“The president's Keystone XL Pipeline veto shows his allegiance to his supporters, not the American people.  He vetoed more than 40,000 direct and indirect jobs that the American people want created. He ignored the 60 percent of Americans who want the pipeline built. Keystone could save workers’ lives because transporting oil by pipeline means fewer accidents and spills. It is supported by Republicans and Democrats. It's a jobs bill the president has no reason to ignore.

“Louisiana families want Keystone built. It’s a jobs bill. It’s a workers’ safety bill. It’s an American bill.”

 

And, U.S. Representative Charles Boustany, kept it short and sweet, saying the Republican-led Congress and President Obama are different in more ways than just simply party positions:

“Today the President has made clear that Congress is for job creation, growth, energy security, and economic resurgence while he is not. The American people want this project built. The President is the only obstacle remaining in the way of making this project’s completion a reality.”