Rep. Tim Murphy on Obama and the Keystone XL Pipeline

U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy (R-18th District of Pennsylvania) called Pres. Barack Obama wrong in his Jan. 25 column for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for rejecting a Keystone XL pipeline project that Murphy says is "the 'granddaddy' of energy-related job creators."

Pennsylvania's 18th District runs directly through the Baldwin-Whitehall area, touching all three municipalities. (See district map here.)

Murphy explains that the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline project, which would transport oil from Canada to multiple U.S. locations, was rejected by Obama on Jan. 18.

"By denying the permit, the president has allowed OPEC to tighten its stranglehold on the United States economy," Murphy writes. "If we are ever going to stop sending $129 billion of foreign aid to OPEC nations by buying their oil, we must seek out stable energy sources that break our dependence on Middle East oil."

OPEC stands for Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Canada and the United States are not OPEC members.

Click here for more from Murphy's stance in the Post-Gazette.

How do you feel about Obama's decision? Do you agree or disagree with Murphy? Tell us in the comments section below.

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