Latest pro-Keystone XL effort comes from oil-fueled Congressmen

The latest effort in the House of Representatives to circumvent the President’s authority and extensive processes that have been developed to make decisions on projects such as the Keystone XL pipeline came out today.

Today it comes via a discussion draft for a bill to be introduced by Rep. Lee Terry and a few colleagues, which would, in their own words, “remove the project’s fate from the president’s hands and clear away the roadblocks preventing construction of the pipeline.”

And guess what, it’s covered in Dirty Energy Money!

This is a common refrain on this blog at this point, so let’s cut to the chase:

The 5 cosponsors of this bill — Lee Terry (R-NE), Fred Upton (R-MI), Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Jim Matheson (D-UT), and John Barrow (D-GA) — simply can’t get enough dirty energy money, it seems.  According to our Dirty Energy Money database:

The co-sponsors have, on average, received over $662,000 in fossil fuel-related campaign contributions in their careers.  That’s over 410% more than the average member of the House of Representatives.  Read that again: over 4 times more in dirty energy money than their counterparts.
The co-sponsors have, on average, received more than $325,000  in oil-related oil-related campaign contributions.  That’s over 340% more than the average member of the House of Representatives.
In total, the five co-sponsors have received over $3.3 MILLION in campaign contributions from fossil fuel-related interests, half of that ($1.6 million+) coming from oil companies.

Once again, it seems members of Congress are listening to money and Big Oil over the people.  But the people are rising, with tens of thousands pledging just this week to resist the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, including — if necessary — pledging to participate in peaceful, dignified civil disobedience.

The question is who will the President, and his Secretary of State John Kerry listen to?