Kentucky’s senior Senator says majority leader Harry Reid is at fault for the Chamber’s lack of action on the Keystone XL Pipeline project.
Republican Mitch McConnell says claims by Reid and fellow Democrat Mary Landrieu of Louisiana that he’s to blame for the situation because of the GOP’s opposition to an energy saving’s bill is not a credible argument.
“One of the advantages of being the Majority Leader is you get to decide what we talk about," said McConnell. "If the Majority Leader wanted to bring up the Keystone Pipeline he could do it tomorrow. I’m not preventing him from bringing up the Keystone Pipeline. He’s the one that’s against the Keystone Pipeline.
"Now, Senator Landrieu and I agree on this issue, but it’s absurd to blame Republicans because we’re not voting on the Keystone Pipeline since the majority leader per party determines what we vote on.”
Since estimates that Keystone would create up to 20,000 jobs immediately, McConnell believes the initiative would have a good shot of passing if Reid would stop blocking a floor vote.
“Well I sure would hope so. Democrats are opposed to it, Landrieu supports it obviously because it goes into New Orleans," said McConnell. "But we oughta have the vote, we oughta see whether Senate Democrats will let it go. Every single member of my conference, every Republican supports the Keystone pipeline, without exception.”
McConnell says the senate needs to approve the Keystone Project, since it’s estimated that it would create up to 20,000 jobs almost immediately. He claims the continued holdup of the initiative is another example of the Obama administration’s “job killing” environmental agenda.
