WASHINGTON (JTA) — The American Jewish Committee urged President Obama to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline.
“The Keystone XL pipeline is critically important for U.S. energy security, our economy and relations with Canada, our neighbor and ally,” Richard Foltin, AJC’s director of national and legislative affairs, said Wednesday in a statement.
Obama opposes the the legislation pending his administration’s review of evidence that it could increase greenhouse gas emissions, among other environmental concerns.
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved the pipeline, and an effort to pass a Senate bill, also backed by the AJC, failed Tuesday by a single vote.
National Jewish organizations have generally refrained from promoting a public position on the issue. Another exception is the Philadelphia-based Shalom Center, which has opposed the pipeline for four years, including through acts of civil disobedience.
CORRECTION/UPDATE: This version corrects the earlier report that said President Obama opposes the pipeline. He opposes the legislation and is still considering the merits of the pipeline. It also includes the Shalom Center’s activism on the issue.
