Representatives of 21 U.S. states have sued U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration to reverse a decision to halt construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to the United States
Since taking office, Biden has signed a number of executive orders, among which was an order to halt the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. The plaintiffs believe the White House chief exceeded his authority by signing the order. They demand to declare the decree unconstitutional and cancel it.
The lawsuit was initiated by attorneys general of Texas and Montana. They claim that about 12,000 people in Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas could lose their jobs because of the pipeline construction shutdown. The plaintiffs insist that the Keystone XL construction issue should have been agreed by Biden with the US Congress.
“From his first day in office, President Biden set out to undo all the successes of the previous administration in complete disregard for the constitutional limits on his power”, – said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Earlier, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Ottawa was disappointed with Biden’s decision on Keystone XL. Once the pipeline is completed, refineries in the US states of Texas and Louisiana could receive more than 800,000 barrels of oil a day from Canada.