On Day One of his presidency, President Joe Biden signed an executive order stopping the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, slashing thousands of jobs along with it, because he and his incoming administration deem it an environmental hazard. TC Energy Corp. has already let go 1,000 workers in both the U.S. and Canada.
Pete Buttigieg, who ran against Biden in the 2020 Democratic primary, is now the president's Transportation Secretary nominee. He was grilled by the Senate on Thursday about Biden's job-killing signatures.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) shared his concern that President Biden just upended 1,200 good paying union jobs. He added that this year, the project was scheduled to have 11,000 jobs, including 8,000 union jobs, for contracts worth $1.6 billion.
"And with the stroke of a pen, President Biden has told those 11,000 workers, those union workers, your jobs are gone," Cruz noted. He asked Buttigieg to say something to the workers who essentially just lost their livelihoods.
Here was the nominee's dismissive reply, essentially telling those workers that they can get "different" jobs.
Transportation Secretary nominee Pete Buttigieg defends the elimination of Keystone pipeline jobs: those workers need to get “different ones”https://t.co/S5unR18myh pic.twitter.com/vwhFTGNaGm
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 21, 2021
"I think the most important thing is to make sure that we make good on the promise of the president's climate vision as being one that creates far more jobs, billions we hope," Buttigieg responded.
"The answer is," he continued, "we are very eager to see those workers continue to be employed with good-paying, union jobs. Even if they might be different ones."
The nominee did not put to rest Sen. Cruz's fears that Biden is en route to enforce several other regulatory decisions that will eliminate more union jobs, more manufacturing jobs and more energy jobs.
"That is out of step with what the American people want," Cruz told Buttigieg.