- The Washington Times - Saturday, August 4, 2012

After years of delays on the Keystone XL pipeline, a top Republican lawmaker says he doesn’t believe President Obama wants to approve it, even after the election, but it may have enough support from Senate Democrats to pass.

“I really don’t have confidence in our president,” Rep. Lee Terry, Nebraska Republican, told Fox’s Sean Hannity on Friday night. “He is so tied to environmental groups, and this is their No. 1 issue.”

He also criticized Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for blocking a new vote on his bill that would take the decision out of the president’s hands and let Congress approve it.

“But he has a co-conspirator here in the Senate in Harry Reid,” Mr. Terry said. “Keystone, I believe, has more than enough votes to pass in the Senate.”

Even if Congress and the president were to approve Keystone, the project faces more delays, according to new reports, because of the discovery of an endangered beetle habitat in the pipeline’s proposed path.

John Hofmeister, former president of Shell Oil Company, appearing on the same program, said the latest potential delay of the project was “irresponsible.”

“It’s not about the beetles,” he told Fox and Friends. “It’s about stopping TransCanada from helping the average gasoline consumer.”

Mr. Terry said he’s baffled by all the delays.

“I haven’t found a downside,” he said.

• Tim Devaney can be reached at tdevaney@washingtontimes.com.

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