Keystone XL

Keystone Pipeline Derailed – For Now

On Jan. 18, President Obama rejected the permit for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project, which was sought by Canadian firm TransCanada and Big Oil interests. The Obama administration determined that more study was needed to see whether the project was in the long-term national interest of the United States. Communities along the proposed pipeline route that are concerned about public health and safety issues welcomed the administration's decision, even as Republican lawmakers vowed to continue fighting for the project.

UPDATED: Rushing To a Full Stop: Obama Gets It Right When He Talks About the Keystone Pipeline

(Jessica Randall 01/18/12; 4 comments)

Regulatory Oversight and Congressional Horse Trading

Appointing Richard Cordray on Jan. 4 to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, President Obama said that he was stepping in to remedy a delay that "hurts our economy and puts people at risk." The Cordray situation is just one example of how obstructionism and other tactics have led to difficulties and delays in protecting the American people and the economy.

The Keystone Pipeline: The Mirage of Jobs

(Sofia Plagakis 12/22/11; 38 comments)

Senate Passes Bill to Improve Pipeline Safety and Increase Public Access to Information

On Oct. 17, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill to strengthen safety standards and increase public availability of inspection results and enforcement actions related to the nation’s 2.3 million miles of pipelines. The legislation was sparked by a series of deadly explosions in 2010 and 2011 that drew scrutiny to the safety of gas and oil pipelines.