WASHINGTON, DC - House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders today responded to the U.S. State Department’s release of the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Keystone XL pipeline application, which includes the proposed reroute through Nebraska.
“Finally, after months of unexplained delays, the State Department has issued its fifth and final environmental report on the Keystone XL pipeline. It confirms there is no reason to oppose the project and clears the way for the president’s approval," said House Energy and Commerce Commitee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). “It was clear years ago that Keystone XL was in the national interest, but this administration has creatively extended the review process to now over 1,960 days. This project enjoys widespread support from Republicans and Democrats as well as job creators and American workers, and will bring thousands of jobs and greater energy security to America without jeopardizing safety or the environment. To kick off his ‘year of action,’ President Obama should use his pen and approve the permit without any further delay. After enduring over five years of review, there is absolutely no reason to keep the American people waiting another day."
“Today, the State Department has determined yet again that there is little environmental risk to building the Keystone XL Pipeline. This is the perfect opportunity for President Obama to stand by the comments he made during his State of the Union Address focusing on job creation and cutting through the red tape. We will soon be seeing if the president is full of empty rhetoric, or if he is serious about job-creating projects like Keystone. The majority of the American people support this pipeline because it will produce jobs and keep our energy affordable," said Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY).
“After over five years, President Obama is out of excuses. There is no question that moving forward with Keystone XL is in our ‘national interest.’ This is an opportunity for the President to do more than just talk about ‘an all-of-the-above energy strategy’. It’s an opportunity for him to show leadership by using his pen to take meaningful action that is long overdue. It would be a disgrace to allow extreme ideologues to obstruct this critical project that will create jobs and help us down the path of energy security," said Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Lee Terry (R-NE), author of House-passed H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act.
