Hillary Clinton said Tuesday she opposes the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline because it would “distract” from the fight against global warming.
In past campaign events, Clinton dodged questions about the proposed project, saying her role as former secretary of State precluded her from voicing an opinion. This afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa, she said she’s no longer concerned about a potential conflict: “I thought this would be decided by now and therefore I could tell you whether I agree or disagree; but it hasn’t been decided and I feel now I’ve got the responsibility to you and other voters who ask me about this.”
“And I think it is imperative that we look at the Keystone XL pipeline as what I believe it is: a distraction from the important work we have to do to combat climate change, and, unfortunately from my perspective, one that interferes with our ability to move forward to deal with all the other issues,” Clinton said. “Therefore, I oppose it. And I oppose it because I don’t think it’s in the best interest of what we need to do to combat climate change.”