Obama Closes 1.6 Million Acres Of Federal Land To Oil Development, Heitkamp Remains Silent

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Written By:
Rob Port

Nov 14, 2012
12:59pm

Remember when Senator-elect Heidi Heitkamp said on the campaign trail that she’d stand up to Barack Obama on energy issues? Well, just two days after the election President Obama shut down 1.6 million acres of federal land to oil development:

The Interior Department on Friday issued a final plan to close 1.6 million acres of federal land in the West originally slated for oil shale development.

The proposed plan would fence off a majority of the initial blueprint laid out in the final days of the George W. Bush administration. It faces a 30-day protest period and a 60-day process to ensure it is consistent with local and state policies. After that, the department would render a decision for implementation.

Heitkamp’s response so far? Deafening silence.

But that’s how it will work for Heitkamp. As long as the issue doesn’t directly impact North Dakota she’ll be a reliable ally for President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s far-left agenda. She’ll only deviate when she thinks taking a particular position might cost her some votes.