It's time for the president to reassess his priorities

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The newly empowered Republicans have arrived on Capitol Hill prepared to go to work as the majority party in Congress. They have no idea what they’re in for.

The Republican caucus came to Washington eager to begin tackling the challenges that have been hindering the American people while the country was under Democratic control. The real question remains, will President Obama be able to compromise, or will he put his ego ahead of real progress?

In the case of the Keystone XL oil pipeline and Obamacare, it looks like ego, unfortunately, will win out. The pipeline will undoubtedly turn into a showdown between the president and Republicans, as the White House has already indicated that if a bill approving its construction passes this Congress, he won’t sign it.

The pipeline would be a $7 billion economic stimulus project that would create the equivalent of 20,000 high-wage manufacturing jobs and 118,000 indirect jobs in the supply and service sectors during construction. Approximately 160,000 American jobs per year would be supported by tar sands oil development if the pipeline is approved.

The project is a slam-dunk for us and our great ally Canada. Not surprisingly, environmentalists criticize the project, claiming that extracting oil from the tar sands is dangerous to the environment. But no matter what they say or do, this crude oil will be produced and on the move. Right now it is being shipped via railway, which is not only more dangerous, but costs more than moving it by pipeline.

Why is the president so opposed? The underlying reason is that one of his biggest supporters, Warren Buffet, owns CSX rail, which would lose billions of dollars in revenue that it now earns by transporting oil the more costly and dangerous way — by rail.

Let’s get real. Obama must realize that this is a great opportunity to put thousands of Americans to work, help the efficiency of oil transport, decrease our foreign dependence on oil and lower its cost to consumers. It’s time for him to put the American people first, instead of yielding to extreme fringes of his party and one of his political patrons.

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