Bernie Sanders, Jill Stein Oppose DAPL, So Where Is Hillary Clinton?

Actress and Bernie Sanders supporter Susan Sarandon has been one of Clinton's most vocal critics, and the DAPL situation is no different. On September 6, Sarandon tweeted a section from Clinton's website where she claims that she will support Native Americans.

"And Hillary will continue to stand for Tribal sovereignty and in support of Tribal resources and sacred sites."

"A new investigation has revealed more than two dozen major banks and financial institutions are helping finance the Dakota Access pipeline, the investigation published by the research outlet LittleSis. It details how Bank of America, HSBC, UBS, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase and other financial institutions have, combined, extended a $3.75 billion credit line to Energy Transfer Partners, the parent company of Dakota Access."

Hillary Clinton will not likely not oppose the DAPL, or will skirt the issue when confronted. Her running mate, Tim Kaine, has already done so, telling 350 Action that he needs "more information" before he can decide whether to side with indigenous leaders or with the DAPL.

"That document guarantees land, sovereignty, and hunting rights, and promises that the territory will be closed to all whites."

It is unlikely that Clinton will voice opposition against the DAPL, and if she does, it will be weak. Lee Fang and Steve Horn pointed out her hypocrisy in May regarding major polluters China and India. In the report, they reference a Clinton ad promising to protect New Yorkers from hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, ignoring the fact that during her time as Secretary of State she was an avid proponent of fracking in other nations around the world, including Poland. While fracking is different than transporting crude oil, it illustrates a pattern of Clinton's, in which she appears to favor the fossil fuel industry.

"Individuals who work for oil and natural-gas companies donated $149,000 to Mr. Trump's GOP campaign through July 30 … compared with $525,000 to Mrs. Clinton."

"The industry's executives and employees have also donated $470,000 to a fundraising account Mr. Trump established … compared with $650,000 to a similar account Mrs. Clinton set up with Democrats."

"The industry's executives and employees have also donated $470,000 to a fundraising account Mr. Trump established … compared with $650,000 to a similar account Mrs. Clinton set up with Democrats."

Energy Transfer Partners, the main builder of the DAPL, knows that such pipelines are not immune to leaks, yet the company's website claims they are safer than train transport. While the number of spills is lower with pipelines, the damage wreaked by such disasters is much worse. To compound this, the DAPL is set to be buried a mere three feet underground, and its own website states that the pipeline will run only 60 inches below waterways, such as the Missouri River.

When an existing leg of the Keystone pipeline leaked earlier this year, then-candidate Senator Bernie Sanders was also critical of it. Another the Inquisitr report states that Sanders vowed to fight to protect the lands of Native Americans across the country, and while he is no longer running for president, his outspoken recriminations against the Keystone and DAPL have not gone unnoticed by supporters.

Now that social media mavens have called Clinton out for her silence regarding the fight against the DAPL, it will be interesting to see whether she takes a stand on this issue and what it will be.

[Photo by Andrew Harnik/AP Images]