As prepared for delivery
Press briefing teleconference on oil sands
Jack Gerard, API president and CEO December 16, 2011
Opening statement:
Good morning everyone. Thank you for joining us. General Jim Jones, our nation's former National Security Advisor and a retired U.S. Marine Corps General with 40 years of distinguished service, has graciously agreed to make a short presentation today on national security and the Keystone XL pipeline project, then to answer your questions after.
Welcome, General Jones.
Before turning the podium over to the General, however, I'd like to say just a few words about the project – and I'll also be available for questions once he's delivered his remarks.
As all of you know, the administration delayed a decision to go forward with the Keystone XL project until after the election. The decision to delay and continue a review process that now exceeds three years was made despite a comprehensive and exhaustive environmental analysis – the second such analysis in two years – that concluded there would be "no significant impacts" on the environment.
Based on the facts, it was and is hard not to conclude the President's decision was driven by politics. He relented to the demands of those who essentially oppose all development and consumption of oil and natural gas. These individuals represent one of the President's core constituencies, and one that could be important to his chances for reelection.
The President's apparent deference to political expediency, however, means he has also put on hold thousands of near-term, shovel-ready construction and manufacturing jobs at a time when millions of America's workers are desperately seeking them. These are jobs that could put food on the table and help pay the rent of many Americans now without the ability to do either.
The President's decision also restricts or delays how much Canadian oil the nation will be able to substitute for oil from less stable sources.
We need these jobs and the secure and reliable supplies of energy the pipeline could deliver to our refineries – and we will continue to need them. We support efforts by those in Congress who want to expedite a decision, and we will continue to press for a favorable outcome as soon as possible.
Thank you. Now I'd like to turn the podium over to General Jones