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Scalise: Oklahoma speech is Obama’s Dukakis moment

March 22, 2012

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Steve Scalise today released the following statement after President Obama’s energy speech in Cushing, Oklahoma.

“President Obama's speech in front of oil pipes in Oklahoma is about as sincere as the ‘Dukakis in a tank’ photo op, and the American people will not be fooled,” Scalise said. “In case President Obama missed his own memo, he already rejected the Keystone XL pipeline back in January, and the section of pipeline he is claiming to expedite today never needed his approval in the first place. The president spent the last three years implementing his radical energy agenda, and it’s ironic that just months before the election, with gas prices skyrocketing, he’s now resorted to desperate political speeches to divert attention away from his reckless and failed record.

“From rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline, to the permitorium in the Gulf of Mexico, to his calls for higher taxes on American-made energy, President Obama’s attack on American energy security has resulted in higher gas prices at the pump and increased dependence on Middle Eastern oil. Instead of continuing President Obama's failed energy policies, we should implement an all of the above energy strategy that increases American energy exploration, creates high paying jobs here at home, and lowers the price of gas at the pump.”

President Obama rejected the Keystone XL pipeline on January 18, 2012. No presidential permit is required to approve the portion of pipeline from Cushing, Oklahoma to the Gulf Coast.

Issues:Energy