Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va, has requested formally that President Joe Biden revoke his former executive order ending construction of the Keystone XL pipelines, the Epoch Times reported.
As Biden fails to address massive infrastructure problems while instead creating policies which cause inflation and increased gas prices, ordinary Americans suffer. Earlier this week Biden attempted to address the crisis by pulling 50 million oil barrels from the nation’s strategic oil reserves — an obvious attempt to improve short-term poll numbers.
According to Manchin, the move to tap into reserves is not a true solution, but only a temporary stopgap. He called Biden’s decision “an important policy Band-Aid for rising gas prices.”
But he then warned that such a “short-sighted energy policy” is “a self-inflicted wound.”
Manchin then pivoted, suggesting that Biden allow construction of the Keystone XL pipeline to provide for a longer-term solution.
“To be clear, [the Keystone XL pipeline] is about American energy independence and the fact that hard working Americans should not depend on foreign actors, like OPEC+, for our energy security and instead focus on the real challenges facing our country’s future,” he wrote.
In Machin’s opinion, America’s energy independence is essential for national independence — a position long ago rejected by Democrats and many establishment Republicans.
He also cited America’s national security as a reason for continuing construction on the pipelines — another issue that Democrats, especially Biden and Vice President Harris have shown little concerns about in the wake of the border crisis.
Manchin, along with Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema, currently stands in the way of Biden’s massive infrastructure bill in the Senate.
As a result, Democrats have increasingly questioned Manchin’s commitment to the party line.
“Squad” member Cori Bush has even called Manchin a “racist,” suggesting that “Joe Manchin’s opposition to the Build Back Better Act is anti-Black, anti-child, anti-woman, and anti-immigrant.”
“When we talk about transformative change, we are talking about a bill that will benefit Black, brown, and Indigenous communities,” she added.
