House Approves Keystone XL Pipeline

The Keystone Pipeline project has sat awaiting approval for six years. It took less time to win World War II than it has for the Administration to approve the pipeline. The pipeline from Canada to Southeast Texas would bring in almost as much oil as America gets from Saudi Arabia. It would create at least 100,000 jobs in its lifetime, including 20,000 immediate construction and manufacturing jobs. Pipelines are proven to be an environmentally safe way to transport energy. This project should be a no-brainer for America, but sadly it has been continually delayed due to politics. The obstructionists in the Administration at the mercy of the environmental lobby have stonewalled this pipeline for far too long.

Congress already has the authority to act. According to CRS, Congressional action related to permitting of pipeline border crossings is a legitimate exercise of Congress's authority to regulate foreign commerce. In fact, in 1973, Congress took similar action and passed the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act in order to build the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which had been delayed for years in a similar fashion to Keystone. That is why I previously introduced The Keystone For a Secure Tomorrow Act (K-Fast). K-Fast would allow Congress to directly and immediately approve the permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Today the House once again voted to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. It is time for the Senate and the President to do the same. Let’s create jobs, bring energy to the United States and make Middle Eastern politics irrelevant to our national security.

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