WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. House of Representatives today voted for a tenth time to advance construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. H.R. 3, the Keystone XL Pipeline Act, was approved by a bipartisan vote of 266 to 153. The legislation, authored by Energy and Commerce Committee member Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), would end the administration’s delays blocking construction of the landmark jobs and energy project, which has been tied up in regulatory review now for over six years. The legislation would eliminate the need for presidential approval, make it clear that the extensive environmental analysis already done on the project is sufficient, and eliminate the threat of future litigation challenges.
“We used to be a nation of big ideas and big dreams. We imagined building the Hoover Dam and Golden Gate Bridge, and accomplished both feats in far less time than it has taken the president to muster the courage to simply answer yes or no on Keystone. We can do better," said House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). “The election is over. There has been broad bipartisan support for this project from day one. With the Nebraska roadblock cleared, the president has no excuse left to delay this project. It’s time to build, once and for all."
“This is day 2,303 of this process, and it is time to build this pipeline now. It’s time because it’s good for job creation, for the environment, for national security, for economic security, and it is good because 62.8% labor force participation is the lowest since 1978, and this project creates jobs. For these reasons, not only do majorities in the United States House and Senate support it, but the vast majority of the people of the United States support it," said Cramer.
Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) added, “The president proclaimed in January 2013 that he would do ‘whatever it takes’ to create jobs, yet because this administration is climate driven, he has continued to stall the Keystone application for more than 2,300 days. The project is privately funded and not one dime of taxpayer dollars is being utilized for its construction. An overwhelming 72% of Americans support building Keystone including labor unions, manufacturing suppliers and legislators in the states the pipeline route directly affects. Even the president’s own State Department in its most recent Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement found that Keystone XL would have a minimal impact on greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, just this morning the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld the pipeline’s route through the state. All of these factors send a clear message to the White House: the American people are ready for the Keystone Pipeline to be built and are tired of the president’s delays and excuses that are blocking this project from moving forward."
The House vote comes just hours after the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled to uphold the route of the Keystone XL pipeline, removing a stated reason for the president’s veto threat. The Senate is expected to vote on similar legislation next week, sending the bill to the president’s desk.
