Billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer defended Hillary Clinton’s silence on the Keystone XL pipeline Tuesday, despite previously criticizing the project and pouring tens of millions of dollars into campaigns to kill the pipeline.
"What Hillary Clinton has said is that she didn't want to give an opinion on this because she was part of the [review] process when she was running the State Department.
"She's also said recently that if the president and the administration don't come out with a ruling on Keystone that she'll make her feelings known," Steyer said. "So I think it's only appropriate to take her at her word that. A., she feels it's inappropriate at this time to make a decision on Keystone and, B., that at some point she feels it will be appropriate."
Steyer has not always been passive about Clinton’s position. In 2014, Steyer and other environmentalists expressed skepticism about Clinton's commitment to change America’s energy resources. He also said Clinton might need a tough primary to get her to discuss the issues.
"Obviously, for us to address this as a global problem, the chief executive of the United States need to lead," Steyer told MSNBC in 2014. "And so in order to do that, you have to prioritize it and want to lead on it … It will be interesting to see. Being forced to refine what you say and think is a good thing."
His tone changed this summer, however, as Steyer has supported Clinton's run for president, even hosting a fundraiser for her.
"We haven’t insisted that people make a decision on that because it hasn’t been necessary. Maybe we’ll change our minds," Steyer said. "We drew a line in the sand on supporting it, but we haven’t drawn a line in the sand and said that absolutely everybody has to take a position on this."
Steyer had previously called the issue a choice between children and greedy corporations. He spent record amounts of money attacking Republican candidates on the issue, tying them to the Koch brothers, and at the time promised to do more of the same in 2016.
His acceptance of Clinton not commenting has angered some Democrats.
"If he wants to be the authority on climate change, and if he wants to dictate a litmus test, then he has to be prepared to be 100 percent solid on the issue—and he can’t play favorites," a national Democrat not supporting Clinton told Politico. "He has to be prepared to have a frank conversation with his friends. Otherwise, it’s inauthentic."
In an open letter to Politico, Steyer promoted the "Courage Pledge" for politicians to oppose the Keystone pipeline, promising to support their candidacies if they did.
"We stand ready, willing and able to support those members who have been threatened because they had the courage to stand up for our children and oppose the Keystone XL pipeline," Steyer said at the end of the letter.