White House Admits Keystone Pipeline Won't Use American Steel
March 2017 - Whether it's a deliberate attempt to mislead us or it's an issue of competence, Donald Trump and his administration can't seem to keep their words and their actions in-sync. Witness the recent disconnect regarding the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which will transport oil from Canada and North Dakota to refineries on the Gulf Coast.
During one of his January photo ops at the White House, Mr. Trump signed an Executive Order removing federal restrictions on completion of the pipeline. In the course of that session, Mr. Trump stated that part of his Executive Order required the use of American-made steel on the project. Reiterating that pledge at various February events, including his mid-February press conference, his speech to the conservative CPAC convention, and while visiting a Boeing plant in South Carolina, Mr. Trump even credited himself for the made-in-America steel requirement.
(TransCanada's Keystone Pipeline Facility in Alberta - image from AP)
Unfortunately, though, we're now finding out that the truth is not consistent with Mr. Trump's assertions. In early March, White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders admitted that the Keystone pipeline will not be constructed from US steel. The American-made steel clause in the Executive Order Mr. Trump signed pertains only to new pipelines or to those being retrofitted/repaired; it does not apply to projects already under construction. Consequently, since construction of the Keystone pipeline already is in progress, it will be finished using high percentages of foreign steel (much like Mr. Trump's hotel in Las Vegas).
While we don't agree with those who have suggested this flip-flop is due to a desire to use Russian-made steel, we are interested in knowing if Mr. Trump had been deliberately misleading us. Or does he just not read what he is signing? Or maybe the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing within his administration? Or maybe it's a little of all three. You make the call, but we think we know the answer.
|
