FRANKFORT, Ky. — Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced Thursday that he joined a 21-state coalition in filing a lawsuit against the Biden Administration’s attempt to cancel the Keystone XL Pipeline.
What You Need To Know
- Kentucky's attorney general signed on to a lawsuit against Biden's cancellation of the Keystone XL Pipeline
- Daniel Cameron joined attorneys general from 20 other states in the suit
- Lawsuit claims Biden's executive order was unconstitutional
“The Biden Administration’s order revoking the Keystone XL Pipeline violates the rule of law, harms the creation of jobs, threatens U.S. energy independence, and creates negative ripple effects for non-pipeline states, like Kentucky,” Cameron said in a statement. “The U.S. Constitution clearly gives the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce to Congress, and we believe the Administration’s actions are unconstitutional.”
In their lawsuit, the coalition argues that President Biden does not have the authority to dismiss the pipeline permit. The lawsuit states, “The decision to provide or withhold permission to construct and operate an oil pipeline across the international border with Canada is a regulation of international and interstate commerce. Under the Constitution, this power resides with Congress." Therefore, “President Biden’s decision to revoke the Keystone XL permit exceeded the scope of his authority under Article II of the Constitution.”
The coalition also purports that the Biden Administration’s decision violates the separation of powers outlined by the Constitution.
In their suit, the attorneys general ask the court to declare President Biden’s Executive Order canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline cross-border permit "unconstitutional" and prevent the Biden Administration from taking any additional action to enforce the permit revocation.
The attorneys general also claim that canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline permit will have adverse impacts on the U.S. economy and environment in non-pipeline states.
Attorney General Cameron was joined by the attorneys general of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming in filing the lawsuit as plaintiffs.
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