During the daily briefing at the White House Monday afternoon, Press Secretary Jen Psaki was pressed on why President Joe Biden eliminated thousands of Keystone XL pipeline jobs before so-called "green" jobs were available.
"Why is it that the Biden administration is going to let the thousands of fossil fuel industry workers, whether it is pipeline workers of construction workers who are either out of work or will soon be out of work because of a Biden EP [executive order], where is it they can go for their green job? That is something the administration has promised, there is now a gap, so I'm curious when that happens, when those people can count on that," a reporter asked. "You said they would be getting a green job so I'm just wondering when that will happen."
"Well I'd certainly welcome you to present your data of the thousands and thousands of people who won't be getting a green job. Maybe next time you're here, you can present that," Psaki responded.
The exchange comes 24-hours after AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka criticized Biden for eliminating high paying, union jobs in favor of jobs that don't exist.
AFL-CIO president @RichardTrumka to @jonathanvswan on Biden canceling the Keystone XL pipeline: "I wish he hadn't done that on the first day...It did and will cost us jobs...I wish he had paired that more carefully [with creating jobs].” #AxiosOnHBO pic.twitter.com/3Ba6F6g8GT
— Axios (@axios) February 7, 2021
Two weeks ago former Secretary of State John Kerry, who now serves as Biden's "climate czar" despite owning and using a private jet, told oil workers to "go make solar panels."
John Kerry is asked what his message would be to oil and gas workers who "see an end to their livelihoods":
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 27, 2021
"What President Biden wants to do is make sure that those folks have better choices... That they can be the people to go to work to make the solar panels." pic.twitter.com/i9TYXlD9Jg