WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power, chaired by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY), will hold a legislative hearing on H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act, next Wednesday, April 10, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. in room 2322 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE) authored H.R. 3 to clear away all remaining roadblocks preventing construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. This bipartisan bill will eliminate the need for a Presidential Permit, address all other necessary federal permits, and limit litigation that could doom the $7 billion jobs and energy infrastructure project. Similar legislation was necessary in 1973 to achieve construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.
“The Keystone XL pipeline is a critical component of our ‘all-of-the-above’ plan to reach North American energy independence, but this project has been tied up in regulatory red tape for over four and a half years. It’s been 1,657 days and the delays continue with no explanation and no end in sight. The game-changing Trans-Alaska Pipeline needed congressional involvement to clear the way for its construction in the 1970s, and our thoughtful legislative solution builds upon the lessons of the past. It’s time to move forward on the state-of-the-art Keystone XL pipeline," said Whitfield.
“America continues to wait for Keystone’s jobs and energy security, and many obstacles still remain," said Terry. “Even if the president does finally approve the project, the unfortunate reality is that we can expect the delays to continue. It is going to take an act of Congress to get this pipeline built. This bipartisan bill clears the path for construction by removing the regulatory hurdles and limiting legal challenges. It’s time to end the delays and build the Keystone XL pipeline."
Read the committee report “A History Worth Repeating: The Alaska Pipeline and Its Lessons for Keystone XL" here.as they are posted.