GOP senator: Letting companies pollute is good for equality

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) argued on Tuesday that President Joe Biden’s move to rescind the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline hurts the cause of equality.

In an executive order signed on his first day in office, Biden revoked the Trump administration’s permit for the pipeline, noting it “disserves the U.S. national interest” by contributing to the global climate crisis.

Appearing on Fox Business, Cramer lamented the decision, saying it is ironic that Biden intends to sign orders relating to equality and economic justice after revoking the Keystone permit.

“It’s very ironic that this president that wants to be a jobs creator and wants equality would start out by attacking an industry that provides lots of opportunity for every American,” Cramer said. He also alleged that the pipeline would somehow assist “the middle class and lower income Americans” by lowering energy costs.

If built, the Natural Resources Defense Council notes, the pipeline, carrying thicker, more corrosive tar sands oil, would be subject to leaks that would threaten the environment, in addition to resulting in expanded mining.

The United Nations Environment Programme reports that environmental pollution disproportionately harms the poorest people in the world.

Experts have also noted that shutting down the pipeline would have little effect on energy costs, which do not depend on construction of a pipeline but on other factors such as decreased production in other countries and other market forces.

From the Jan. 26 edition of Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria”:

KEVIN CRAMER: And then you have things like the executive order on the Keystone XL pipeline, or the removal of the presidential permit, that means we’re going to be more dependent on foreign oil, foreign oil from someplace other than Canada. It means it’s going to have an impact on the relationship with our closest neighbor and biggest trading partner, in Canada.

 

And by the way, ironically, today, as you mentioned, he’s going to focus his executive orders on equity or equality and economic equality. Well, there is no group of people more negatively impacted by higher energy costs and lower, fewer energy jobs than the middle class and the lower-income Americans. So it’s very ironic that this president that wants to be a jobs creator and wants equality would start out by attacking an industry that provides lots of opportunity for every American.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.