[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 174 (Tuesday, November 15, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H7586]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


APPROVING KEYSTONE PIPELINE WILL CREATE JOBS AND BOOST AMERICAN ENERGY 
                              INDEPENDENCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, President Obama has been going around the 
country saying that he is taking action through Executive order because 
``we can't wait'' on the Congress. However, he has just said that he is 
going to put the largest job-creating project in America on ice.
  When it comes to creating jobs and providing additional resources for 
energy, the President can wait. In fact, he's putting the Keystone 
pipeline off until after the 2012 election. That is nonsense and 
hypocritical.
  This pipeline will not only create tens of thousands of jobs, it will 
also help to dramatically reduce our dependence on oil from despotic 
Middle Eastern petrostates. By blocking and delaying this important 
project, the Obama administration is standing squarely in the way of 
economic growth and energy independence.
  It's time to get serious about approving this pipeline. It has broad 
support, and its builders have demonstrated a strong willingness to do 
what it takes to reduce potential environmental impact, even going so 
far as to propose changing its route.
  Mr. Speaker, this project makes sense for our economy and for our 
national security and energy independence. It's long past time the 
Obama administration stopped blocking its progress, because the 
American people can't wait on this issue.
  But the President again seems oblivious to the fact that we have a 
real unemployment rate of approximately 26 million people. I want to 
read some information put out by the Republican Conference this 
morning.
  ``According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of 
Americans who are either unemployed, underemployed, or not searching 
because they've been discouraged by the job market has reached 26 
million people. In October, nearly 14 million workers were unemployed, 
with an additional 8.9 million working part time because they could not 
find full-time work. There were also 2.5 million workers who were 
available for work but had stopped actively searching because of the 
economic conditions. All told, over 16 percent of the U.S. workforce is 
now unemployed or underemployed.'' And yet the President won't make a 
decision on the Keystone pipeline that would create tens of thousands 
of jobs.
  Republicans, though, have taken action. We have over 20 bills sitting 
in the Senate, introduced by Republicans but passed by a bipartisan 
House majority, and these will all create jobs in this country.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the American people to go to jobs.gop.gov and 
click on ``track legislation'' for them to see the evidence of what 
Republicans are promoting in the House of Representatives that is being 
stopped in the Senate. Yes, there is a do-nothing part of the Congress, 
Mr. Obama, but that is in the Senate, which is controlled by the 
Democrats.
  So again, I want to urge Americans to go to jobs.gop.gov and click on 
``track legislation.'' Republicans have the will to help create jobs in 
this country through empowering small businesses and reducing 
government barriers to job creation, fixing the Tax Code, boosting 
competitiveness, encouraging entrepreneurship, maximizing American 
energy production, and paying down America's unsustainable debt burden 
and starting to live within our means.


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to address their 
remarks to the Chair.

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