Commentary: WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), made the following statements today after President Trump granted a permit to construct the Keystone XL Pipeline.
“You’d think this administration would have learned by now that you can’t govern just by rushing through terrible ideas,” Rep. Grijalva said. “This wasn’t done to help the country. It was done to spite Native Americans and our environment. After a careful review, the Obama administration found that approving this project was not in the national interest. It took Trump officials two months to slap together a justification for doing it anyway. This administration and its apologists in Washington seem to take a perverse joy in harming Native American rights and our environment just to prove they’re in charge. The fight is not over and this approval will end up in court.”
“Moving forward with the Keystone Pipeline will not only extend our dependence on fossil fuels, it will endanger communities whose land and water are at risk because of the pipeline,” Rep. Ellison said. “That’s why President Trump’s decision today is alarming to communities along the pipeline, and to millions of Americans across the country, including the brave men and women who work every day to save the planet.”
“Keystone will not help Americans at the gas pump. If anyone stands to benefit, it is President Trump, who is an investor in the Keystone Pipeline, former oil company CEO and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who spent more than 30 years working at ExxonMobil, and their friends who are working to rig the system against working American families.
“This proves that elections have consequences, and that any grassroots organizing strategy must be accompanied by a strong electoral strategy,” Rep. Ellison continued. “We must continue to organize and let our voices be heard. Trump’s policies make harmful climate change worse. We need to work together and move toward clean energy.”
The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is the largest caucus within the House Democratic Caucus, with over 70 members standing up for progressive ideals in Washington and throughout the country. Since 1991, the CPC has advocated for progressive policies that prioritize working Americans over corporate interests, fight economic and social inequality, and promote civil liberties. The CPC champions progressive policy solutions like comprehensive immigration reform, a $15 national minimum wage, fair trade, gun violence reform, debt-free college, and making the federal government a Model Employer.