GOP puts heat on oil pipeline measure

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- About 120,000 U.S. jobs are at risk because of President Obama's opposition to an oil pipeline project, the Republican Party said in its weekly radio address.

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., spoke for the party and accused the president of trying to defer the controversy over the Keystone Pipeline until after the 2012 election.

Barrasso alleged Obama's threat of a veto of the bill to allow the project was political and not in the nation's best interest.

"It appears that President Obama is opposing these new American jobs in order to try to save his own job," the senator said. "It's time for the president to stop playing politics."

The Keystone project, which would send about 700,000 barrels of oil per day flowing from the controversial Canadian tar sands in Alberta into the United States, has met with bitter opposition from environmentalists in both countries.

Barrasso called the opposition "extreme environmental groups" that Obama relies upon for political support.

Advocates say the project would directly create 20,000 construction jobs and 100,000 ancillary jobs, and decrease energy reliance from abroad.

"Having a steady source of energy from our friend and ally here would make us less dependent on energy from the volatile Middle East -- and that is good for America," Barrasso said. "Canada has made it clear -- if we don't build this pipeline, the United States will lose these jobs and Canada will sell the oil to China."