How much money has the oil industry (and related businesses) given to Boehner and those who support fast-tracking it?
This is an irrelevant question since this has not been really fast tracked. The permit was applied for in 2008 and due diligence has been done. The State department has itself stated in a brief on 8/26/2011 that the determination would be done by the end of the year 2011. What has happened is that the Obama administration has DELAYED AND STALLED and tried to push back the decision until after THE ELECTION...a strictly political move so as not to piss off his base which includes the anti oil crowd...environmental extremists...man made climate change people etc. I believe Obama will approve it (if re-elected)...he just doesn't want to do it
now.
The Republicans are , of course, holding his feet to the fire...certainly political....but they are right to do it, as to delay its construction 'is not in the country's interest', no matter what the administration says.
The country is struggling to get the economy going, and this huge construction project will provide jobs. Whether it is as many as oil industry analysts say, or as paltry as pipeline opponents say is irrelevant also, because by anybody's estimate it will create several thousand jobs, as well as several thousand more 'spinoff' jobs...all of which America's needs to get the ball rolling again so to speak. The claim by opponents that these jobs are 'temporary' is is political spin also, as ALL construction jobs are temporary. That does not mean they are less desirable. The project is a large investment($7 billion) in permanent infrastructure...a very nice injection into our economy when you consider the multiplier effect.
Is any of this oil going to find its way into American markets and reduce our dependency on foreign oil?
This is not about energy independence as much as it is about
energy security. This is oil that will be sent to and refined here in this country(permanently)...from a friendly and stable source. In the event of an oil disruption in the middle east...the oil necessary to keep us running is here, in American markets, as opposed to having to go to Asia to bring it back. Moreover,
the timing of this is important too. Canada is not going to sit on this oil waiting for us to act on the if/come. They have money invested and they are going to move the stuff. Make no mistake, China, India and other Asian players are moving quickly to secure their sources of oil for their burgeoning economies. While there is still plenty of oil, there is no question that the gap between demand and available supply will diminish considerably over the next 20 years, and being proactive in this regard is crucial as we attempt to transition to other sources.
I am not an Obama guy to begin with, but this is one reason that he must be defeated . Everybody plays politics, but to do so against the national interest is a cardinal sin and should not be tolerated. This is a 'shovel ready' project if there ever was one...and it won't cost Treasury a dime. The administration needs to stop shoveling on this one.