Ohio U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown is defending his vote against the Keystone X-L pipeline Tuesday. The move to fast-track the pipeline’s construction was shy one vote in the Senate, with strong support from Republicans and a few Democrats.
Brown says if the Keystone Pipeline project is approved and built, it would divert tar sand crude away from Midwestern refineries, a costly move for consumers.
“A number of economists are saying the pipeline construction would actually mean the price of oil, the price of gasoline at the pump, would go up in Ohio and in states in this region,” he said. “The pipeline would send to the Gulf of Mexico the glut of oil that’s now being used in part to keep prices down in our part of the country.” (:19)
Brown adds that if the pipeline must be built, it should be with American steel and serve the U.S. energy market. Some lawmakers say they’ll revisit the issue as soon as the 114th Congressional session begins next year.
Meanwhile, Rob Portman, Ohio’s Republican Senator, says Keystone would create thousands of jobs and improve the nation’s energy security. In a release, Portman says he looks forward to its passage when the GOP takes over the Senate.
