House Republicans, aided by a few dozen Democrats, just voted to pass the Keystone Pipeline bill.
The Keystone XL Pipeline will create just 35 permanent jobs, yet Republicans like John Bohner are touting it as a “jobs bill,” thanks to the few thousand – not “tens of thousands” of temporary construction jobs that it would create.Â
Oil pipeline temporary job creation jobs good, infrastructure –rebuilding roads and bridges – temporary jobs job creation bad, in Republican speak.
But the facts are clear. “There’s been a running battle over jobs and the Keystone XL. We’ve checked claims that it would employ as many as 20,000 workers. We rated that False; even the company behind the pipeline backed away from that number,” PolitiFact reported last year, adding that in reality, Keystone would create “approximately 3,900 jobs.”
Earlier this year, PolitiFact did more math.
It rated as “true” Van Jones’ claim that the Keystone pipeline creates just “35 permanent jobs” after construction.
But House Republicans have just passed the bill.
Across the nation, a majority of Republicans (83 percent) support the project, but only 43 percent of Democrats do. Nationwide support has dropped to 59 percent, still a substantial number. Democrats, along with women, those with a college education, seniors, and those who live in the Northeast register the highest level of uncertainty over the project.
Noting that this is the ninth time the House has passed the Keystone bill, the Huffington Post reports President Obama will likely ultimately veto it.
The White House indicated Thursday that President Barack Obama would likely veto the bill forcing Keystone approval if it passes the Senate. “The administration, as you know, has taken a dim view of these kinds of legislative proposals in the past,” said White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest.
31 House Democrats voted for the bill, as did all but one Republican. Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan voted “present.”
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