President Barack Obama reiterated Friday that he hasn’t changed his mind on the Keystone pipeline, as Congress considers legislation on the project that would run oil from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.
“My position hasn’t changed, that this is a process that is supposed to be followed,” Obama said at a press conference in Yangon, Myanmar.
He noted that there’s still a case pending in Nebraska by landowners who are challenging the pipeline. “And until we know what the route is, it’s very hard to finish that evaluation, and I don’t think we should circuit that process.”
Landrieu pushes for Keystone pipeline vote
The GOP-controlled House is scheduled to vote on the pipeline Friday. The measure was already passed this session by the House, but the issue has become a key component in the Louisiana Senate runoff, and the Democratic-led Senate has agreed to take up the bill next Tuesday.
Obama is also waiting on the State Department to complete its analysis on how the pipeline would affect the environment.
“My government believes that we should judge this pipeline based on whether or not it accelerates climate change or if whether it helps the American people with their energy costs or their gas prices,” he said, before casting strong doubt on the idea that gas prices would actually go down.
White House: ‘Dim view’ of Keystone pipeline plan
“Understand what this project is: it is providing the ability of Canada to pump their oil, send it through our land, down to the Gulf, where it will be sold everywhere else. It doesn’t have an impact on U.S. gas prices,” he said.