One of President Joe Biden’s first official acts was to sustain the dismantling of the amazing economy built by his predecessor, President Donald Trump, beginning with the oil and gas sector.
On his first day in office, Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline project, which was expected to bring more than 830,000 barrels of oil per day to refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast, thereby boosting our national security by boosting our energy independence.
But our security and independence weren’t the only ill-effects of this ill-advised left-wing policy priority. Killing the $8 billion pipeline also killed a lot of union jobs held by Americans who are now wondering what they’re going to do to make up for the lost income — in an economy Democrats had already crippled with endless COVID-19 lockdowns.
…Biden signed an executive order to halt the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which was meant to transport Canadian crude oil to the U.S., citing the climate-change crisis as the reason.
The move swiftly eliminated the estimated 11,000 U.S. jobs – including 8,000 union jobs – the project would have sustained in 2021.
Neal Crabtree, a welding foreman who began working on pipeline construction as an apprentice in 1997, was dismayed when he heard the news.
“This is not a time to be making political statements. We need to be finding ways to put more Americans back to work, not the other way around,” he told Fox News.
Crabtree was among the first Keystone workers to be laid off. At the time, the Arkansas-based welder was working with a crew on a pump station in Nebraska.
In a post to Facebook, Crabtree wrote he felt “a sick feeling in my stomach and an aching in my heart,” and admitted to breaking down and crying in his truck after laying off his team.
“Just like the rest of the country, COVID hurt us bad. We had a lot of projects canceled,” he told Fox News. “We’ve got guys that haven’t worked in months, and in some cases years, and to have a project of this magnitude canceled, it’s going to hurt a lot of people, a lot of families, a lot of communities.”
But you know who doesn’t care? Joe Biden and the left-wing climate hoaxers who have other means of employment and aren’t going to lose one dime over this decision.
Pete Buttigieg, who is Biden’s Transportation nominee, blew off the lay-offs with a dismissive wave of his hand, saying it’s no big deal ’cause Biden’s going to spawn a host of new ‘green’ industries and they can get jobs in that sector.
“We are very eager to see those workers continue to be employed in good-paying union jobs, even if they might be different ones,” Buttigieg said.
What’s the timeframe, Pete?
Eventually.
Someday.
Maybe.
“I don’t consider this a job, I consider it a career,” said Crabtree in response to the statement. “You spend a lifetime fine-tuning your skills and if you go start another job you’re starting at the bottom. I doubt that these politicians would like it if someone told them to go start over and find a different job.”
Truth.
“I can’t understand how the pipeline industry has become the villains,” Crabtree said regarding the left’s bashing of Keystone. “The American public doesn’t understand that by not building this pipeline, it’s not going to keep the oil from getting to the market. It’s already coming.”
“You can’t just flip a switch and go from fossil fuels to renewable energy,” he added, noting that who Biden’s plan to “phase out” natural gas, petroleum, and coal were fantasy.
“If they want to start developing that infrastructure, they can. But you can’t just get rid of us at the same time.”
If you haven’t started saving your quarters and dollars to pay for higher gas prices, might want to start doing that. Removing sources of production will not lead to cheaper prices, that’s for sure.
Author: Jonathan Davis
Source: Trending Politics: Laid-Off Keystone Pipeline Worker on Biden’s Cancellation: Decision ‘Going to Hurt a Lot of People’