Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell railed against President Joseph R. Biden Thursday for his “unilateral actions” that will displace American workers.
The Kentucky Republican noted that Mr. Biden said in October that a leader can’t legislate by executive action unless he’s a dictator.
“Well, in one week he signed more than 30 unilateral actions, and working Americans are getting short shrift,” Mr. McConnell said on the Senate floor.
The canceling of the Keystone XL pipeline permit, for example, and banning future oil, coal and natural gas leases on federal land are examples the GOP leader gave as grave mistakes the new administration has made in the past week.
After Mr. Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline permit on his first day in office, the premier of Alberta, Canada, called it a “gut punch.” The pipeline would transport an estimated 800,000 barrels of oil a day from Alberta to Nebraska.
“I imagine that the 11,000 American workers including 8,000 union workers that were counting on that work feel the same way,” Mr. McConnell said.
The minority leader also noted one-fifth of the domestic production of oil, gas or coal comes from federal land.
The move to halt that production could cost one million jobs by next year.
“That’s a heck of a way to kick off the presidency,” Mr. McConnell said.
Mr. Biden has signed more than 40 executive orders in one week, a record outpacing any president in recent history.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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