ND Lawmakers Critical Of Obama After Pipeline Rejected

Members of North Dakota’s congressional delegation say they’re disappointed in President Barack Obama’s rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline.
 
However, there is some support for the decision within North Dakota.

North Dakota Sierra Club spokesman Wayde Schafer applauded Obama’s move, saying it, “sent a clear message that he is serious about addressing climate change.’

The reaction to the move on Capitol Hill is a lot cooler.

Republican Representative Kevin Cramer says Obama’s decision is “anti-growth, anti-American jobs.”

Republican Senator John Hoeven and Democratic Senenator Heidi Heitkamp both think the decision isn’t based on the best interest of the American people.

Sen. Heitkamp says, “It’s incredibly disappointing. I think this was a political decision, not a decision that was based on the facts and the record.”

Hoeven adds, “Clearly the administration is making a political decision in concern to Keystone, rather than following the legal and regulatory process.”
 
TransCanada Corp.’s proposed pipeline would carry more than 800,000 barrels of Canadian crude a day to refineries along the Gulf Coast.

It wouldn’t go through North Dakota but it would move about 100,000 barrels of oil daily from North Dakota’s oil patch.