Upon taking office in January of 2021, one of Biden's first orders of business was, on the grounds of "protecting public health and the environment," aborting the Keystone XL project. The pipeline was to connect with existing infrastructure and transport oil from the U.S.-Canadian border to the Gulf Coast.
Speaking to a crowd in Eagle Pass, Texas on Monday, Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis touched on the importance of the pipeline.
"It's great for people's pocketbook to pay less for gasoline," he asserted. "We see it at the gas pump, but it permeates everything in the economy. When energy prices are high, your utilities, your food -- everything -- it permeates. So, that's really good to get a downward pressure."
When asked by an audience member if he would support Keystone XL, he said he would "100%," calling it a "no-brainer."
Making note of toxic train derailments like in East Palestine, Ohio and most recently in Columbus, Montana, the Florida governor reasoned that "the pipelines are the safest way to transport."
"It's better for the environment to have a pipeline than to do it on surface," he submitted. "So … we want to permit a lot of pipelines. I think it's critical infrastructure, I think it's good for the economy, and I think it's good for our national security."
"We'll open up all the oil and gas in the United States for development, because it's important," DeSantis declared.
Meanwhile, recognizing the government's extensive permit process, he also called upon bureaucrats to cut through red tape and "stop holding this country up."
"We need to permit things like pipelines, put people to work, and enjoy the low energy prices," the presidential hopeful told the crowd.
