Rep. Collin Peterson’s Republican challenger, former Lt. Gov. Michelle Fischbach, is calling on the congressman to rescind his 2018 endorsement of Gov. Tim Walz.
The Walz administration, through the Minnesota Department of Commerce, announced last week that it will appeal the Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) decision to grant Enbridge a certificate of need for its Line 3 replacement project.
The 1,097-mile crude oil pipeline runs from Superior, Wisconsin to Edmonton, Alberta, cutting through Minnesota along the way. First built in the 1960s, the pipeline is now operating at a significantly diminished capacity because of corrosion.
“Collin Peterson continues to endorse and campaign alongside out of touch Democrats like Tim Walz and Joe Biden. While Walz attempts to delay the Line 3 project yet again, Biden is promising to shut down pipeline projects like the Keystone XL,” Fischbach said in a statement. “If Peterson is serious about supporting the Line 3 project, he will rescind his endorsements of Walz and Biden. Anything less is just his same old political double-speak.”
As a candidate for governor in 2018, Walz said he was satisfied with the PUC’s review process and approval of the Line 3 project, Fischbach noted.
“I’ve always supported projects like the Line 3 pipeline. This project is essential for northwestern Minnesota. After the loss of so many jobs and small businesses due to the governor’s ‘one size fits all’ policies, this project is an opportunity to breathe new life into the region. Line 3 is better for the environment, it’s better for the economy, and it’s better for our communities. That is why I support Line 3 and will only support candidates who support it,” she added.
The Line 3 replacement project was first proposed in 2014, meaning it has been making its way through the regulatory process for about six years.
In a statement released last week, Peterson said the project “should have been done a year ago.”
“I’m frustrated that instead of giving the approval to create jobs and provide a source of revenue for counties across northern Minnesota, there’s yet another state agency delaying progress on the Line 3 Pipeline replacement,” he said.
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
