New Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Fox’s “The Kelly File” that President Barack Obama opposes the Keystone XL pipeline because he’s “controlled by the far-left environmental extremists in this country.” (RELATED: Obama Once Again Vows To Block Bill To Approve Keystone XL)
MCCONNELL: What I’ve said is we’re going to turn first to the Keystone XL pipeline, a decision he’s been sitting on for five years that would literally put thousands of people to work very quickly… supported by 70 percent of the American people, and help us embrace this remarkable energy revolution that’s going on in our country, everybody sees that at the moment with low gas prices. And yet the president says he’ll veto it.
Look, my attitude is if we can find some things that we can agree on, that’s great. But the president does not set the agenda in the Senate. If he chooses to sign the things that we can put on his desk, great. If he doesn’t, at least the American people will know who the obstructionist is.
HOST MEGYN KELLY: Do you think that was a thumb in the eye of the new GOP-controlled Senate for him to come out? I mean, he didn’t say that back when [former Democratic Louisiana Senator] Mary Landrieu was still fighting for office and they were voting on Keystone. But he wanted until you got in, and he made very clear I’m going to veto that.
MCCONNELL: That’s a good point. We had this debate back in December; the president didn’t utter a word about vetoing it. Your point is very well-made. And now that the very same bill is being called up by a Republican Majority Leader, he threatens to veto it. Look, I think we get the message: he is controlled by the far-left environmental extremists in this country.