Story at a glance
- The lawsuit aimed at reviving the pipeline project filed Wednesday is being led by attorneys general from Texas and Montana.
- The states argue the decision was “arbitrary and capricious” and will have detrimental effects on the economy, particularly in rural states.
- Biden ended the pipeline project as part of his ambitious push to address climate change and move the country toward a clean energy economy.
Attorneys general from 21 states are suing President Biden and members of his administration for revoking permits for the Keystone XL pipeline.
The lawsuit aimed at reviving the pipeline project filed Wednesday is being led by attorneys general from Texas and Montana. The complaint argues Biden exceeded his authority when he signed an executive order in January effectively canceling the controversial 1,200-mile oil pipeline set to run from Canada into Nebraska. The lawsuit also names Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other cabinet members.
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The states argue the decision was “arbitrary and capricious” and will have detrimental effects on the economy, particularly in rural states.
“Revocation of the Keystone XL pipeline permit is a regulation of interstate and international commerce, which can only be accomplished as any other statute can: through the process of bicameralism and presentment,” the complaint said, arguing Congress has the final say over whether the project is built.
“The president lacks the power to enact his ‘ambitious plan’ to reshape the economy in defiance of Congress’s unwillingness to do so,” it read.
Other plaintiffs include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Construction of the pipeline kicked off last year under President Trump after it had hit snags during the Obama administration. The pipeline would be capable of moving 830,000 barrels of crude oil each day from oil sand fields in western Canada to Steel City, Neb.
Biden ended the pipeline project as part of his ambitious push to address climate change and move the country toward a clean energy economy. The move was applauded by conservationists and tribes concerned about the pipeline’s effects on the environment, while others criticized the move, saying it killed jobs and potential revenue.
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