Story highlights
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called for authorization of the Keystone XL pipeline
Christie's speech was a high-profile foray into energy policy ahead of a possible 2016 presidential campaign
He called President Barack Obama's lack of approval of the pipeline a missed opportunity
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie lobbied for construction of the Keystone XL pipeline during a trip to Canada on Thursday, staking out a position popular with Republicans and business groups ahead of a potential 2016 bid for the White House.
In a speech at the Calgary Petroleum Club, the Republican criticized President Barack Obama’s administration for allowing the pipeline to languish at the State Department for six years without a decision on its approval.
“My view is that we are missing an enormous opportunity when we delay its development,” he said of the 1,179-mile pipeline that would stretch from Canada through Texas to the Gulf of Mexico in a prepared text provided by his office.
He cited the State Department’s environmental study, saying it had concluded the pipeline “would be safe,” and pointed to 42,000 jobs that its construction would create. Many of those jobs, Christie acknowledged, would be temporary, but he said they’re still needed.
“This is no way to treat a friend,” Christie said. “This is not about sending ‘your oil’ across ‘our land.’ It’s about maximizing the benefits of North America’s natural resources for everybody, about allowing markets to function, and about contributing to the prosperity of citizens of both the United States and in Canada.”
Christie’s Canada trip comes on the heels of his visit to Mexico in September. The travel and the year the New Jersey Republican just spent as Republican Governors Association chairman have given him opportunities to elevate his profile and connect with key donors ahead of his decision on whether to seek the GOP’s 2016 presidential nomination.
The speech comes just weeks before Congress is likely to take up the Keystone pipeline again. Incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has pledged a vote to authorize the project shortly after new GOP lawmakers are sworn in next month, setting up a showdown with Obama, whose administration has signaled he might veto such a bill.
Christie met Thursday with Alberta Premier Jim Prentice. During his two-day trip he’s also expected to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and visit Toronto and Ottawa.
Christie highlighted U.S.-Canada trade figures. He called on Congress to approve legislation that would fast-track approval of a new pact between Canada, the United States and 10 other Pacific Rim countries, covering a host of new issues – including intellectual property rights and environmental and labor rules – that weren’t addressed in as much depth in the North American Free Trade Agreement.
He touted the “North American model” of cooperation, and the “extraordinary neighborhood that we live in” – with similar political systems and cultural values.
But most of his remarks were focused on the Keystone pipeline.
During a press conference with Prentice on Thursday, Christie said Keystone would be a “reliable and secure source of energy from a friendly neighbor and trading partner is something that is going to be a benefit to everyone in the United States, including the people of New Jersey.”
He batted away a question about whether dropping oil prices have undercut the need for the Keystone pipeline.
“You cannot make major national policy decisions based upon the oil price of the day. We know from our own experience that oil prices will fluctuate and change up and down,” he said. “This provides us with another foundational piece for strengthening the geopolitical position for North America.”