[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 137 (Wednesday, November 12, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5887-S5895]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE
Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I was hoping to catch the Senator before
he left the floor because I wanted to ask him--and I am not sure he is
going to slip back in here, but I was going to ask him if he thought
maybe--because I agree with him that that new approach to
bipartisanship could start today. I do not think we have to necessarily
wait until January. There are some of us who have been ready, who have
worked in a bipartisan way, literally for years, getting very important
things done for our Nation. I am
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sorry the Senator slipped away. I am sure he has some other pressing
business. I wanted to ask him--and I absolutely agree with him on the
priorities he just laid out. I think he just said the American people
want us to act and to act together in their interests.
I think I heard him say that on the top of his list, what he is
particularly anxious to work on is the Keystone XL Pipeline, the
expedited export of natural gas. I think he said it was important for
jobs in America, helping to strengthen the middle class, sending a very
positive signal to them that we heard them in this election; that he
was troubled about the falling median household income and wants to do
something to raise it. And I think I heard him say he was concerned or
that he was--how shall I say it?--he was thinking that some of these
things would really push Putin back on his heels. I have been one of
the ones sanctioned by President Putin, and there are a few others who
are on that list, so I have been of that mind for a while.
I think he also referred to Ted Kennedy, one of our dear friends who
mentored many of us--not just Democrats but Republicans as well--with
his straightforwardness, his honesty, his passion, his capacity for
extraordinary work, and his willingness to work across party lines. As
the Senator from Texas pointed out, there was a great partnership
between Senator Kennedy and Senator Enzi, and he talked about the 80-20
rule; let's agree on 80 percent. ``We might not agree on everything,
but let's move forward'' I think were his words on the 80 percent on
which we do agree.
So I want to come to the floor today to ask Senator Cornyn from Texas
particularly and Senator McConnell and Senator Reid and others if they
will join me in moving forward on the Keystone XL Pipeline.
This has been a project that has lingered far too long. It is clearly
supported by 60 or more Members of this body. It is a piece of
legislation that has been endorsed by the new to-be majority leader, as
a cosponsor and a leading cosponsor of the legislation.
There are a significant number of Democrats on that legislation. I
believe with a significant push in the next few hours we could actually
get the votes we need to pass the Keystone Pipeline. In an hour or so,
at the request of the minority, I am going to wait for about an hour
and then I am going to propose a unanimous consent to do exactly that--
to set up 2 hours of debate tonight after the vote and then have a vote
on the Keystone Pipeline tomorrow. I believe it is the time to act.
I believe we should take the new majority leader at his word and stop
blocking legislation that is broadly supported by the American public
and has been for quite some time. I want to say yes to the new majority
leader Mitch McConnell. The time to start is now. The public has
clearly spoken. I believe we can move forward on several important
pieces of legislation.
Senator Reid mentioned the Marketplace Fairness Act. That is another
very important piece of legislation that I believe needs to be moved
through. With a little push right now, it could get done. It would be a
significant boost to businesses and retail that are being hurt every
day by our inaction. My comments are going to be about the Keystone
Pipeline because I am chair of the energy committee for the Senate. I
am going to do everything in my power, here and at home on the campaign
trail where I am still in a runoff, as you know, to get this project
moving forward.
One of the extraordinary facts about the Keystone Pipeline is not
what it is. I am going to talk about that in a minute and what it does.
One of the most extraordinary pieces of argument for why we should pass
it is the unprecedented coalition that supports it. There are other
bills that have a longer list of supporters. There are bills that have
pages and pages of lists. This particular bill has a relatively short
list of organizations, but they are extremely powerful and diverse,
which makes it compelling and I think it makes us--or should make us--
want to understand and respond to this coalition.
I am going to read their names. I have some time to do this before I
call for unanimous consent to pass the original Hoeven-Landrieu
Keystone bill, which is a stand-alone Keystone bill as originally
introduced with 45 Republican cosponsors. Every Member of the
Republican caucus is already a cosponsor of this bill, and we have on
that bill about 12 Democratic cosponsors. I am confident we have the
additional votes necessary to pass it.
The American Chemistry Council, the American Concrete Pipe
Association, the American Exploration and Production Council, the
American Highway Users Alliance, the American Petroleum Institute, the
American Road & Transportation Builders, American Truckers Association,
Associated General Contractors of America, Association of Oil
Pipelines, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, Distribution
Contractors Association, Independent Petroleum Association of America,
Industrial Minerals Association of North America, Institute for 21st
Century Energy, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers,
Laborers International Union of North America.
Let me stop there and make a point. Many bills passed here or
attempted to pass here either have a list of all business organizations
or all labor organizations or all environmental organizations or all
highway contractors.
This bill has such an extraordinary, diverse group of some of the
strongest business leaders in the country. I want to underscore to my
Democratic colleagues who are supporting this piece of legislation,
tremendous support from labor unions because labor unions, like
business leaders, want jobs. They want profits. They want success. They
want more investment in business, creating good middle-class jobs. The
difference between the oil and gas industry, which I have been pleased
to be a strong advocate for in many different facets, is that industry
does produce the kinds of jobs Americans truly want, not minimum wage
jobs, not just slightly above minimum wage but jobs that in my State--
the Senator knows this because he is well aware of this--start at
$60,000, $70,000, $85,000 for a young man or a young woman coming out
of high school or trade school, let alone college.
These are very important jobs. That is why labor unions are
represented here. Along with Portland Cement Association, the plastics
industry, the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the
Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry, the Business Roundtable, American
Supply Association, American Iron and Steel Institute, National
Association of Manufacturers, National Electrical Contractors
Association, National Roofing Contractors.
Why would roofing contractors be supporting the Keystone Pipeline?
There are no roofs on a pipelines, but there are thousands of roofs
over workers needed to build a pipeline. All along the route of this
pipeline will be increases in populations of housing, industrial sites,
retail, residential, supporting over 40,000 workers to build this
pipeline. The North American Die Casting Association, the National
Utility Contractors--again, associated businesses--the U.S. Oil & Gas
Association and, finally, Steel Manufacturers Association and Western
Alliance.
This is an extraordinary coalition that has come together to support
the Hoeven-Landrieu bill. The bill I am going to call up in a few
minutes for unanimous consent to pass because I believe what the new
majority leader has said. I believe what Senator Cornyn has just said.
I believe what the current majority leader said, soon to be minority
leader in the next Congress, that we need to work together and that we
can work together, and we need to begin to do that today--not tomorrow,
not in January, not in February, not in March, not around the corner,
not next week but today. That would send the most positive signal. I am
not asking to have unanimous consent on 10 bills that are
controversial. I am not asking us to do the impossible. I am not asking
us to do something that just came up last week. I am asking us to move
forward on a bill that has labor support, business support, general
contractor support, and most importantly the American people. The
latest polls on the Keystone Pipeline, not just in my state--I see my
colleague from West Virginia--and not just in West Virginia but polls
in this country from California to New York, to Michigan, to
Pennsylvania, to Ohio,
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to Florida, and to Texas. Overwhelmingly Democrats, Republicans--not
everyone--but there is overwhelming support to build the Keystone
Pipeline because Americans want jobs. American families deserve good-
paying jobs. In addition, Americans are tired of bowing to Mideast
powers or to Russian dictators about what our future is going to be.
Americans are proud. We want to stand proud. We believe the Keystone
Pipeline is an important first step. It is a signal. It is a symbol
that represents American energy power. It is a symbol moving past
gridlock. It is a deliverable on promises we have all made. Yes, we
will work together. Yes, but that will start later. Yes, we will work
together, but it will be next year. Yes, we will work together, but it
will be in the spring. Yes, we will work together, but we can't pass
Keystone unless we pass these 10 other things.
There is always going to be tomorrow. There is always going to be 10
other things. Let's act today, tomorrow. We can do this. We can pass
the Keystone Pipeline and answer the frustrations of the American
people so they can rest next week and say: Oh, my gosh. The Senators of
the United States of America have ears. They have brains. They have
hearts. They heard what we said and we can do this. We have a bill that
is on the calendar.
I have also passed a similar bill through my committee, but I am not
even asking you to pass the bill I passed through my committee, which I
think is slightly better than the one on the calendar, but we can all
compromise here. I am also the cosponsor of the bill, lead sponsor of
the bill, that is on the Senate calendar. It doesn't have to go through
a committee. It basically technically already has. It is ready for a
vote. We have the 60 votes to pass it.
I am going to recognize in just a minute the Senator from West
Virginia. I will ask the Senator a question because only the Chair can
recognize, but I would like to ask the Senator from West Virginia, does
any of this make sense to him. I don't know if he was down here.
Although I am sure he was in his office listening to the comments of
the majority leader, the soon-to-be majority leader, and the good
Senator from Texas saying now is the time to work together. I don't
know if the Senator heard that. Does the Senator think that maybe this
bill would be the bill to start moving us from gridlock to doing the
job for the American people?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator of West Virginia.
Mr. MANCHIN. I thank the Chair.
My good friend, the Senator from Louisiana, has been working on this
for many years--I think even before I came up. I have been here 4 years
now. When I first came, I talked to Senator Landrieu, my friend from
Louisiana, and asked her about this and basically I think she explained
to me at the time that first of all the sovereign nation of Canada, the
country, was going to produce it so we had no say in the production of
this product. It is going to be produced. Next of all, it is going to
go somewhere because there is demand for the product in the
marketplace. There is a demand for it.
With all that being said, it didn't take me too long to reply to the
Senator, she will recall, 4 years ago, that in West Virginia we have
common sense and we have good people like Louisiana and we felt if this
product is going to be sold and we are buying this type of a product
around the world, then why wouldn't we buy from our friends versus the
enemies we have supplied resources to, to be used against us? That is
the one that resonates with West Virginians. I know it resonates with
Louisianians. The other thing is I understand there are 1,000 American
companies in West Virginia--not to say what you have been able to do
and help the people in Louisiana, all the jobs they have gotten from
this, it would be a tremendous windfall for all of us if it is
something we can count on.
I can't for the life of me understand why we haven't to date been
able to move this piece of legislation forward. I did hear both the
minority leader and the majority leader and the minority whip and
majority whip talk about it is time for us to start working together.
There is not a better piece of legislation to show that we heard the
results of Tuesday's election. We heard. If we heard nothing more from
that roar of Americans, whether they voted or didn't vote, they
basically told us do something. Start doing what we are supposed to do.
Start governing. Do something. We may not agree with you, but we would
like to see this open dialogue, this transparency, this beautiful body,
the Senate, that the whole world watches. But when they see us doing
nothing--it is not something we are very good at or look very good
doing. That day is gone.
I would ask my Senate colleagues that if they would be so kind as to
give us a chance to show me we are starting anew.
We are going to have a piece of legislation that is going to help us
be more secure as a nation, and that is why I am here. I wish to hear
the Senator's comments.
The security of our Nation--the Senator has been here. She has been
seeing what has been going on, the demand we had for foreign oil, what
it has done to us, the areas of the world it has taken us to, and the
amount of resources we have spent in blood and treasure fighting for
resources--whether people believe it or not. This is a chance for us to
secure that. So if the Senator could talk to us about that.
Ms. LANDRIEU. The Senator from West Virginia is so right in focusing
this debate at this moment on the subject of national security because
Veterans Day was just celebrated by all of us yesterday. We all
participated in Veterans Day events.
So it pains me to say this, but I am going to give us all of the
facts--and the Senator knows this--that this country imports 340
million barrels today. Iraq exports 340,000 barrels of oil per day.
That is Iraq--blood and treasure. We have left men and women--not left
them on the battlefield--but they have died there, and we have many
soldiers here at home.
Canada--which is a friendly country, an ally of ours--with the
Keystone Pipeline, would bring in 870,000 barrels into the United
States. So the American people sit here and think: OK, what is wrong
with this picture? We could be taking oil from our friend, Canada,
creating jobs in North America--good-paying jobs--not only building the
pipeline but maintaining the pipeline.
This pipeline doesn't come to Louisiana. I fought for it like a
tiger, and the pipeline doesn't even come to my State. It goes to
Texas. Now, I have refineries in Louisiana, and Louisiana most
certainly and the companies in Louisiana will benefit. This pipeline
doesn't connect Canada and Louisiana; it connects Canada and Texas.
I am sorry that the majority leader and the Senator from Texas had to
scamper off the floor. I am sure he had a meeting to go to. But this is
really about refineries in Texas that are waiting for this oil and
about moving this oil, as the Senator knows, through the most safe
means possible to these refineries--off of the highways, off of the
railroads, and supporting a relationship with Canada as opposed to
countries in other parts of the world that don't always share our
values and that we have to spend a lot of our defense money protecting.
So this makes no sense, and that is why I think this pipeline has
such overwhelming bipartisan support across the country.
Mr. MANCHIN. I think that basically the Senator touched on something
very important and we want to go back to that--transportation of the
oil today. The oil is coming down into the refineries anyway. We have
had some explosions by our rail carriers. It is coming by truck, and it
is coming in so many different forms. We have been told this is the
safest way to transport.
When people talk about safe transport, we know this was not the first
pipeline we have in America. I think if you ever look at a map--the
Senator has had the map on the floor--there is a crisscross. We have
pipelines all across America, and I think that is the perfect map to
see.
So the bottom line is it is something we have done. If we take it in
the harshest environment in Alaska, the Alaskan pipeline--that means so
much to us in America--it has been done in the harshest of environments
and has been done safely. So I am concerned about that.
I am also concerned with--the Senator talked about it directly going
to Texas, but you all benefit; everyone benefits.
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Ms. LANDRIEU. Everyone benefits.
Mr. MANCHIN. The other thing I wanted to say is this. I know the
Senator was in parades yesterday, and I can only imagine her schedule.
It has to be unbelievable. But with all that said, people still want
jobs. All they want is jobs and an opportunity to work with certainty.
This gives Americans a lot of certainty about jobs and future economic
growth in our country.
Ms. LANDRIEU. Absolutely.
This morning, to prepare for offering this unanimous consent
request--which I will do in a very short period of time and ask for a
couple of hours of debate tonight and then tomorrow--I spoke to the
leader of the building trades council for the United States of America.
He was very strong in his words to me about how disappointed he has
been with some Members who have not stood up for building trades.
These are men and women who work in every State. All they want to do
is go to work and have jobs. He was extremely disappointed in the
gridlock over this piece of legislation, and that is exactly what he
said to me. He said: Senator, we are about fed up with elections and
politics because what my members want are jobs. That is what their
families want, and they are tired of fooling around with some
commonsense projects that would bring so much wealth to middle-class
families.
I know that the majority leader on our side is concerned about the
flat line of middle-class income in this country, and I know his heart
is working toward increasing income for all families. This is the first
step. Not only is the project itself going to generate huge amounts of
jobs and economic activity--and I am going to put that amount in the
record. It is estimated to be $20 billion. It is slightly less than the
size of the entire State of Vermont's GDP. This one project is like the
output of one of our States--albeit a small State--but Vermont is an
important State. I have never in my life seen a project with so much
economic benefit.
I have never seen an infrastructure project supported from a broader
base--from the left to the center to the right. I have never seen labor
and business come together in my life as they have on this issue. I
have never seen so many Senators cosponsor a bill and yet--because of
something I can't quite put my finger on--we haven't yet passed. We can
do that now, today or tomorrow, and that would send a very positive
signal that we have heard the voters, that we do understand this cry
for breaking the gridlock, moving forward together, and getting the job
done.
I could not think of a better bill that symbolizes what we are trying
to do in terms of jobs, economic security, energy security, and looking
to the future in our country than this bill. It would build this
pipeline, get this oil--which is going to be produced anyway--off of
the rails, off of our highways, and into refineries.
May I say, as the Senator from West Virginia knows, and the Senator
from North Dakota, who is my right hand with the Senator from West
Virginia, we have additional pipelines to build because we have to
build these east-west. The real need for the supply is the west coast
and the east coast.
As the Senator knows, you could produce all the oil and gas you want
or all the energy, and produce and generate the power, but if you can't
move it to the places where it needs to be, it is as if you haven't
produced it.
I know something about this subject as chair of the energy committee.
So after we do Keystone, which we are going to do tomorrow, we have to
build some other pipelines that go east and west.
This is only to take 10 percent of North Dakota's supply. North
Dakota has become the leading supplier of oil and gas in the country. I
wish to talk about North Dakota for 1 minute. I can't do it justice,
such as Senator Heitkamp can do it, but I heard her give this speech
enough to be able to repeat it, and it is worth repeating.
The Senator from Texas just came to the floor and lamented: Oh, my
gosh, what can we do to lift the middle class? How can we lift their
economic outlook?
The Senators, all three of them, came and asked that question. I gave
them an answer: Build the Keystone Pipeline. Do they know what is
happening in North Dakota? It might be a sparsely populated State, but
it has now surpassed every State in the production of oil.
The other thing they do is they took their energy production, No. 36
on a scale of 1 to 50--they were the poorest State. The Senator from
West Virginia would know where they are today. Do we know where they
are in 4 years? They have moved from 36 to 6. Think about that. I want
to let that sink in for just 1 minute. North Dakota moved their number
from 36 out of 50 to 6 out of 50 in 4 years.
Now, I challenge any Senator from any part of this country or any
political leaning to come down to this floor in the next 24 hours and
show me one piece of legislation, one tax cut, one jobs bill that could
move a State in 4 years or a group of States from 36 to 6. That is the
power of this industry, and we are standing in its way.
It is shameful, it is wrong, and it must stop today. If people want
to hide, they are going to have a hard time.
I want everybody to hear clearly this is not a time to hide, not a
time to sit down, and not a time to play games. It is a time to stand.
We already have enough votes to pass this bill. We have 45--we have
every single Republican, none of whom are on the floor now. Every
single Republican of this Chamber is a cosponsor of this bill on which
I am going to ask unanimous consent. So I would think very carefully
before anyone objects because they are all cosponsors on the bill.
Think hard before you do.
Mr. MANCHIN. Senator, if I could just touch on one thing because we
have here our good friend Senator Tester of Montana, who also knows a
thing or two about an energy-producing State.
I think on the environment, you touched on that. Most people believe
that people who come from energy States throw caution to the wind on
environmental issues. There is no one in this body--I don't believe on
either side of the aisle--who doesn't want the best for themselves,
their children, families, and future generations.
With that being said, I think this pipeline has passed every hurdle
the environmental community--rightfully so--has put out so that we
should make sure we were protecting the environment and trying to find
a balance between the environment and the economics, if you will. The
economy is so vitally important. I don't know if there is any
environmental impact study standing in the way that would prevent this.
Ms. LANDRIEU. I agree with the Senator. I think he is absolutely
correct. The Senator from Montana knows this as well. The Senator from
Montana also has an issue that I will ask him to explain in just a
moment--he knows it better than I do--about private property rights,
because he negotiated the language in the bill.
But responding to the question of the Senator from West Virginia
about the environment, that is what is so exciting about this project,
so compelling for us to move forward. Not only did the international
study that was done say it is in our international interests, of
course, to trade with our best and most friendly trading partner
closest to us that enjoys the same high quality standard of life that
we do and even higher environmental standards, but the environmental
study that came in, conducted by the President's own administration--
this wasn't done previously--came back and concluded this is the safest
way to move it and it is the most environmentally friendly way to move
it, and that is the record.
So the Senator is right. Not only does it have a compelling economic
argument, but it has a compelling environmental argument from that
perspective.
I would ask the Senator from Montana if he could explain the very
important language that is in the Landrieu-Hoeven bill that is
cosponsored by every single Republican and this chairman and that is
about the language he negotiated on private property rights, because
this is a very important principle for many Republicans but also for
many Democrats, particularly in Louisiana, where we have a lot of
private property. In West Virginia you have a lot of private property.
In Montana you have a lot of private but also some public lands.
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Would the Senator answer that question if he would.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Montana.
Mr. TESTER. I thank the Senator from Louisiana and the Senator from
West Virginia. I have a few things to say, and I will do so very
quickly. But since this is the first time we have been on the floor
since the election, I think the American people are frustrated with the
ways things work in Washington--enough political games.
They told us that Americans want lawmakers to compromise, to work
together, and to get things done.
Americans told us they want a stronger economy with good-paying jobs.
It shouldn't have taken an election to get this message through, but it
did. Nationwide, including my State of Montana, it is fair to say the
unemployment rate is down, but it is also fair to say wages are not
where they need to be. Too many Americans and too many Montanans are
struggling to make ends meet.
The Keystone XL Pipeline can help address some of those issues. But
now we have another attempt to block consideration of this bipartisan
bill written here by Senators Landrieu and Hoeven. The votes are there.
We know that. If there is one way we can create good-paying jobs right
away, it is by approving and building this Keystone XL Pipeline.
Building the pipeline would tell the American public that Washington is
ready to turn the page. It will tell them we heard them, that their
voices matter, and that Washington is reacting appropriately.
Building the pipeline will strengthen our economy and our
infrastructure. First, according to the State Department, building the
pipeline will create 16,000 jobs and support another 26,000 more. Those
are jobs that will help working-class Americans provide for their
families.
Secondly, the pipeline will include an on ramp for oil from the
Bakken region of Montana and North Dakota, and let more energy go from
our country to the marketplace, which is where it needs to go. With
production in the Bakken continuing to boom, we need more options to
get that American oil where it needs to be, and the XL Pipeline is
where that needs to be.
Third, shipping oil by pipeline is the safest way to ship it. That is
a fact. And the safety of American families and communities must come
first.
Fourth, building the pipeline means more business with Canada, our
friend to the north, and less business with the Middle East--folks who
don't like us. Our country continues to be involved in conflicts in the
Middle East. By continuing to do more business with our neighbors to
the north, as opposed to countries that don't share our world view, we
can help cut off the funds to those who work against us. I think the
Keystone Pipeline is a big step toward creating that energy security.
The pipeline must be built right. I will get to the point Senator
Landrieu talked about. It must be constructed with respect to private
property rights. We cannot have foreign corporations using eminent
domain to run roughshod over the fields of a farmer in Montana or a
business owner in Nebraska or over sacred tribal lands. The respect for
private property rights is in the Landrieu-Hoeven bill. It is not in
the House bill. It is a critical component. It has to be, otherwise we
are making a huge mistake.
This pipeline also must be built to the highest safety standards.
There can be no corners cut. Leaks and spills don't make anybody any
money. They are unacceptable. The most modern safety systems must be
employed, including double piping, if necessary. That is a fundamental
difference between the Landrieu-Hoeven bill--what they have drafted in
the House and the good work we have done in the Senate. The House bill
contains no protections for landowners. None. Zip.
The House bill says: Good luck, landowners. You are subject to
eminent domain by a foreign corporation. You have no spill prevention
protections. The Landrieu-Hoeven bill, on the other hand, protects
rural America, protects private property rights.
Senator Landrieu has been working on this effort for years. This bill
will give the pipeline the Senate's seal of approval and it will send a
signal to all Americans that Congress is working together creating good
jobs, supporting our economy, and that we are able to make responsible
decisions.
But as this debate moves forward, I will continue to push to make
sure the oil shipped through this pipeline stays in America. I have
heard the arguments on all sides, but North America's oil should stay
in North America. It will make our country more energy secure. It will
lead to cheaper energy that will be more affordable for our homes, for
our businesses, and for our working families. That will lead to more
good manufacturing jobs in this country. Because of our energy costs,
we will be able to recruit that manufacturing base back to our country
that we gave up some 20 or 30 years ago.
There are a lot of reasons to approve and build the Keystone XL
Pipeline. It will support our middle class--and we need to support our
middle class--it will make us more energy secure; and it will
strengthen our transportation and infrastructure system.
But America needs a sign. It needs a reason to trust that Congress
and Washington as a whole are listening. Approving the pipeline with
the needed protections and with respect to private property rights is
that sign. I, like the American people, am tired of the gridlock and
tired of kicking the can down the road. I didn't come here to delay and
push our problems to the future. I came here to work for commonsense
solutions we can enact today and move this country forward today. The
Keystone XL Pipeline is one of those solutions.
Passing this bill and building this pipeline is one of those very
important things we need to do for our infrastructure, for our energy
security, and for the country as a whole. I encourage my colleagues to
support and help us rebuild our trust with the American people.
With that, I turn it back to the good Senator from West Virginia, Mr.
Manchin.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia.
Mr. MANCHIN. Let me say the Senator from Montana, and all of us--
there are quite a few of us--are on this bill for a reason. It is about
the opportunities for jobs that we have. And it doesn't have an
environmental detriment to our country. That has already been proven.
So with all of this, what is the hangup? Why can't we get this vote we
are hoping to get by tomorrow at the latest?
I can only talk about the jobs with the thousand American companies
that are providing the goods it takes to build this pipeline. I have a
chance in West Virginia--we are doing an awful lot of the work right
now because we come from an energy State that does an awful lot of the
support work for any type of energy throughout the country and around
the world. But the bottom line is, again, if you are going to have a
secure nation, you have to have control of your own destiny. This gives
us the control we don't have, it gives us the ability to say, listen,
we may not have to go around the world and engage in the different
conflicts we see going on right now. That is what we are talking about.
So the security of the Nation, I think, is the most important thing
Keystone does, is it helps us be more secure with the greatest trading
partner we have. Canada is the best and the largest trading partner for
35 States out of the 50. People take jaunts all over the world trying
to develop a market here and there. But when it comes down to it, the
No. 1 trading partner for 35 States is Canada. And Canada is working
with us.
I know Canada has pressure from around the world to go somewhere
else. So if we have the best partner--the best outlook we have ever had
or can imagine--working with us to help develop this product the whole
world seems to need and want and we need in America, why not have
control?
The Senator from Louisiana talked about this. Why shouldn't we bring
that oil into America and do all the heavy lifting and then ship it
somewhere else? It is supply and demand. When you have control of
supply, when you have the supply in your own back yard--and there might
be demand, but you have a need also within our country--that gives a
pretty good hand to play. That is what we are saying. Why would we let
any of these advantages be turned to a disadvantage?
The only thing I can do is hope we can get this vote. And I would say
to
[[Page S5892]]
my good friends on the other side of the aisle, my Republican
colleagues, this would be the best gesture to move the ball forward.
This would be the best gesture they could make, coming off of the
changes, the shift we saw from Tuesday's election. People are speaking.
They want us to work. It is the same for the Senator from Montana, the
same for the Presiding Officer. They want us to do something. They want
us to work.
We are not going to agree all the time with people. The best we can
do is try. We had a football game we played the other day at WVU. We
played TCU. We were ahead. We should have won the game. Going into the
last half of the fourth quarter, for some reason the play calling
wasn't as aggressive as it had been the first three quarters. We sat on
the ball and we got beat 31 to 30. People don't want us to sit on the
ball in the Senate.
It is time for us to do something. It is time for us to move forward.
After Tuesday's election, we can work together. We have heard you loud
and clear. We are willing to take a vote. We know the environment will
be protected. We know we can find a balance between the environment and
the economy. We know we can reap thousands and thousands and thousands
of jobs and put millions and millions of dollars into the economy. That
is what we do know.
There will still be some people who don't support this piece of
legislation, and they have all their reasons to speak about that. But
give us a reason to vote for something that will help America and help
our States individually. That is what we are asking for. That is what
the good Senator has been fighting for since the day I have been here.
Senator Landrieu being the chairman of the energy committee has made
a difference from my standpoint, looking at our energy policy as a
whole. But how do we keep the United States of America secure and out
of troubled spots in the world? I appreciate her efforts on this, and I
look forward to working with her on this. I endorsed the bill, I am a
cosponsor, and I will definitely proudly vote for this piece of
legislation as soon as we can get it on the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.
Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I see the Senator from North Dakota has
arrived, and of course she wants to speak and can do so beautifully
because this pipeline comes through her State, as I said. But I do want
to respond to a few things and thank the Senator from West Virginia.
I have heard colleagues, particularly my colleague from California,
say this often, and she says it in committee and on the floor. And even
though she and I are on opposite sides of this debate, we have worked
together on some important legislation for our country, and I have such
respect for her leadership on the RESTORE Act, which was an amazing
piece of environmental legislation for our gulf coast States. Without
her leadership it would not have happened. But I have heard her say
over and over and over again that elections have consequences, and this
one does, just as they all do. And one of the consequences of this
election is that a clear path for Keystone has been opened up.
The reporters following this legislation, which they have followed
very carefully, know exactly what I am talking about when I say a path
for passage has been cleared. In my view, that path will never, ever be
clearer than it is today. Now in order for the path to stay clear, and
it is crystal clear today, politics must be set aside. Gamesmanship has
to be set aside. We must come together to do what is right for the
country, for the American people, and to vote.
There are strong feelings, I know, against this bill. There have been
for many years. But the overwhelming majority of this body--60-plus
Members--has indicated support for this legislation. And the Senate
bill, from the perspective we just heard--from private property rights,
for clarity, for simplicity--is far superior to the House bill that has
been passed.
The House is very agile--very agile. They can do lots of things
quickly that the Senate can't do. So the House may decide to take the
language of this bill, pass it, and call it something else. I
understand that. I don't know if that is what they will do, but there
is a clear path for victory on Keystone. Whoever's name is on the bill
does not matter to me as long as it gets done. I want to say that
again. The name on the bill does not matter to me as long as this gets
done. And it needs to get done right now--not in January, not in
February, not in March.
It doesn't need to be combined with anything else. It needs to get
done on its own, because it is standing alone. It will go to the
President's desk as a stand-alone. I believe the President will have to
make an important decision. I am hoping he will sign it. But if he
doesn't, that is the process. I hope he will, and I will be urging him
to do so because his administration--his State Department, his EPA, and
his Transportation Department--has urged him to support this piece of
legislation for the strength of our economy, a signal to our allies,
and to strengthen America here and abroad. I would strongly urge him to
sign it.
We have a job to do in the Senate, the President has a job to do, and
the House has a job to do. But if everybody would stop playing games
with this bill and think about what the American people said on
election day and stop trying to push one philosophy or one person ahead
of the other, we can get this done.
My name is not even first on this bill. Senator Hoeven's name is
first. It is a Hoeven bill. I am the lead Democratic sponsor because I
am the chair of the energy committee, and I will be until January 2. If
my voters send me back, I will be here for 6 more years. That is why my
name is on the bill, because I chair the committee. But if they want to
take my name off, put somebody's else name on it and pass it, so be it.
I didn't come here to see my name in lights. I came here to create jobs
for my State and for this country, and I believe I have done an
excellent job in the 18 years I have been here, through very difficult
circumstances, and will continue should the voters want me to.
Today we need to talk about the Keystone Pipeline, and nobody can
speak better of this than the Senator from North Dakota. I wish to line
this up before she speaks, because she was traveling and she just
landed. She might not have heard what all three leaders said when they
came to the floor. Senator Reid, Senator Cornyn, and Senator McConnell
said their No. 1 goal was to break gridlock, and they wanted to start
now. Their second goal was to expand middle-class job opportunities and
create wealth in America.
So I am hoping the Senator from the State that has created the most
wealth in the shortest period of time of any State of the Union might
express to the rest of us actually how that happened and why she thinks
this Keystone Pipeline and other pipelines--because she and I agree,
this is just the first of several we are going to have to lay down to
make America a superenergy power. We don't become a superenergy power
by just wishing it; we become a superenergy power by putting in the
infrastructure that makes it possible. Even kids in second grade
understand this. We have to put up windmills, we have to put up solar
panels, we have to put in pipelines, we have to put in highways.
The Senator from North Dakota, who has a very sparsely populated
State, understands the issue of this infrastructure I think better than
any Senator in this body. So I am going to ask her if she would respond
to that and maybe elaborate on the question: How did her State get so
wealthy in the last few years?
My State is doing well. I am not here complaining. My State is doing
beautifully. Our unemployment in south Louisiana is 3 percent, so we
are blessed because we are an energy State. We are proud of it. We are
creating jobs hand over fist. But there are places such as Detroit,
there are places in Ohio, there are places in Pennsylvania and New York
and New Mexico and other places where people are unemployed, begging
for work, willing to work. Three leaders came to the floor and said: It
is time to break gridlock. Here is a project that can do it. So I hope
to see them sometime before close of business tonight.
Would the Senator expound on that?
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Heinrich). The Senator from North Dakota.
[[Page S5893]]
Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I stand with my great colleague and a
great champion of this energy renaissance--probably the greatest
champion of the energy renaissance here in the Senate, the Senator from
Louisiana.
I wish to speak first about the election. I think all of us have had
some time now to reflect, and I think the clearest message this entire
body, as well as the entire U.S. Congress, received is: Stop fighting.
Get your work done. I don't think it could have been any clearer.
We have an opportunity today to demonstrate we got that message, not
in a partisan way, but in a bipartisan way--in a nonpartisan way--to
say: We heard you loud and clear. It is time to do the job we were sent
here to do, and that is to move legislation which moves this country
forward.
Senator Landrieu has expounded on the great opportunity of this
energy renaissance, not just for this country but for the entire world.
So let's start with what is happening in North Dakota.
We have had an explosion of oil and gas production. In fact, we have
rapidly moved to second place in this country in oil production. We
produce oil from oil shale.
What does that mean? It means nothing if we can't move the oil. It
means nothing if we can't get this product to the refineries and this
product to market. We can produce all the oil we want, but part of what
we need to address as we look at an energy infrastructure is how we
move energy products.
Today in America, and actually in Canada, how we are moving this
product is by rail, which has created tremendous stress on our
agricultural infrastructure. It has created tremendous stress on
manufacturers who need to use those rails to haul their finished
products. It has created tremendous stress for the railroads. Are they
glad for the business? You bet. And has that created and opened up new
markets for the oil production in my State? You bet. But the bottom
line is, the best way we know how to move oil and move this product is
in a pipe, and that is essential to building all this energy
infrastructure.
Why is it important? Let's start first with the fact that we now are
moving toward North American energy self-sufficiency. A lot of people
talk about America, and that is a great goal. But if we include our
friends to the north--the people I grew up with, the people I know--I
have been to the oil sands, I have been all over Alberta, I have been
all over Saskatchewan. This is a very friendly country which has the
longest contiguous border with which there has never been a conflict.
We celebrate this in North Dakota with Peace Garden, which is a lovely
park on both sides of the border where one can easily cross. We
celebrate that. These are our friends. And if we are going to continue
to build out this energy renaissance in North America, we had better be
prepared to move this product.
We all know some of the opposition to this has very little to do with
the pipeline. It has to do with a concern about the increased
availability of fossil fuels. This is still an economy that runs on
fossil fuels. We have done tremendous work with fuel efficiency. We
have done tremendous work with energy efficiency. But we are going to
continue to use gasoline in our cars, we are going to continue to use
diesel in our heavy equipment, and we are going to continue to use this
product.
Who do we want to buy this product from? If we ask any American
person: Would you rather buy this product from Venezuela or would you
rather buy this product from our friends to the north, Canada, I am
pretty sure what their answer will be.
So let's talk a little bit about why the United States, at a time
when we are seeing a global slowdown in economic progress for many of
the other countries throughout the world--why is the United States
seeming to go farther? Why are we producing and generating more wealth
in our country than other places? I would tell you, it is because of
this energy renaissance. We are doing something no one else is doing--
we are producing our own oil and gas, we are developing the techniques
to get this oil and gas out of the ground, and we are taking that as a
raw material which is providing a renaissance, not just in the oil area
but also in natural gas as a feedstock for many of our manufacturing
processes. So we have a real opportunity here. But all of that goes
away if we don't move the product, if we don't figure out a way to make
sure our product gets to market.
I will talk a little bit also about what this development in our
country means to the world, when we are confronting great challenges in
dealing with Russia, in looking at what is happening in the Middle
East. We are confronting all of these challenges throughout the world.
We know we can not only deploy our humanitarian efforts, our efforts by
supporting through air strikes some of the work that is being done on
the ground, but perhaps the single most important thing we can do is
help provide oil and gas to Europe and to those countries dependent on
people or on countries that are not our friends.
We look at what our opportunities are today, and we know those
opportunities are in the energy renaissance.
So how do we move this product? How do we send a signal that we are
ready to take advantage, both globally and domestically, of this
product, of this renaissance in North America? We approve the Keystone
Pipeline.
A lot of people talk about what the Keystone Pipeline means to my
State. It doesn't exactly go into my State, but the Governor of Montana
made sure when he was providing the permits that there wasn't what I
call an on ramp. There is a place where we can in fact access the
Keystone Pipeline. We anticipate about 100,000 barrels a day of North
Dakota crude will be able to be placed into the Keystone Pipeline and
sent down to refineries in Louisiana. That may sound like a lot, but it
is less than 10 percent of our current production.
For me, the Keystone is so much more than this particular pipeline.
It is a national discussion about our failing energy transportation
infrastructure. That is what this is. And if we do not move this
project forward, if we say no, what is the next thing? What is the next
project that is essential? A 22-mile pipeline in Massachusetts that
would provide huge stability for the northeast in terms of their heat
production. Twenty-two miles could be a huge benefit to our friends in
Maine in terms of stabilizing their home heating costs this winter, but
yet we fight the pipeline.
Keystone is a huge advantage we have in this country because we are
an oil and gas producer, and could potentially be an oil exporter,
providing that source of soft power across the world. What do we do? We
turn our back on the infrastructure that moves this product. So we have
got to do everything we can to get this approved.
I wish to turn briefly to the politics. A lot of people come here and
talk politics. I believe this is the place to talk policy, and that is
what I try to do. But for a moment, I wish to talk about the respect we
should have for voters. I wish to talk about elections, and elections
have consequences. One of the things we can do to begin to restore the
public faith in our democracy and in the institution of the U.S.
Congress is to do something bold to begin with: Actually move
legislation that people have been waiting for for a long time, and
actually respond to concerns.
Maybe we get the votes, maybe we don't. But let's take a vote. Take a
vote and get it done. Show the American public we are willing to come
to this body, debate the great issues of the time, and bring things to
a vote so they actually see us doing something; they actually get
results. They pay our salary. We came here to vote. We came here to
work. We came here to do something for the American public.
We don't all agree; there is no doubt about that. But the thing we
should all agree on is it is essential in terms of providing certainty
to the American public, confidence that the American public has in this
body--that they see us on this floor, not 2 years or 2 months from now,
not 3 months from now, not 4 months from now, but today--the first day
we are back in session after an election, a hard-fought election with
pretty dire consequences for our side of the aisle, but a hard
election. It is essential we send a message that we got the message and
we take a vote.
I am so proud of my colleague from Louisiana for coming back when,
arguably, she should be back in her State
[[Page S5894]]
doing a little campaigning. But she is back here fighting for what she
believes in and what she has always believed in, which is an energy
infrastructure which makes a difference for North America, makes a
difference for not just States such as mine but consumers of energy.
I thank the Senator from Louisiana for her tremendous leadership on
this and her willingness to basically come here and say: I don't care
who gets the credit. I don't care if my name is on it or not. Let's get
the Keystone Pipeline approved.
Now I want to make one final point and then I will close. If you have
driven the route of the Keystone Pipeline, what you will see stockpiled
every so many miles is thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars
of pipe waiting--6 years waiting--infrastructure that needs to go
today. So when people say we can wait to take this vote, you are wrong.
The sooner the better. The sooner we take this vote and get it
approved, the sooner we are going to see those resources deployed and
we will not yet miss another construction season in the North Country.
Mr. President, I yield the floor and express great gratitude for the
opportunity to speak.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.
Ms. LANDRIEU. I know the Senator from Tennessee is on the floor and I
would like to take 2 or 3 minutes. I know we can go back and forth but
I want to conclude a little bit of this debate we have had.
First, I want to submit for the Record--because I am going to remain
on the floor and speak after the Senator from Tennessee--but I want to
put into the Record the list of Republican cosponsors of S. 2280, the
date they became cosponsors, and the name of every single Member,
including the Senator from Tennessee, who is a cosponsor of the Hoeven-
Landrieu bill that is pending on the Senate Calendar, S. 2280. I ask
unanimous consent that the list be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
List of Republican Co-Sponsors of S. 2280 and the Date They Became Co-
Sponsors
Sen Alexander, Lamar [R-TN]--5/1/2014
Sen Ayotte, Kelly [R-NH]--5/1/2014
Sen Barrasso, John [R-WY]--5/1/2014
Sen Blunt, Roy [R-MO]--5/1/2014
Sen Boozman, John [R-AR]--5/1/2014
Sen Burr, Richard [R-NC]--5/1/2014
Sen Chambliss, Saxby [R-GA]--5/1/2014
Sen Coats, Daniel [R-IN]--5/1/2014
Sen Coburn, Tom [R-OK]--5/1/2014
Sen Cochran, Thad [R-MS]--5/1/2014
Sen Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]--5/1/2014
Sen Corker, Bob [R-TN]--5/1/2014
Sen Cornyn, John [R-TX]--5/1/2014
Sen Crapo, Mike [R-ID]--5/1/2014
Sen Cruz, Ted [R-TX]--5/1/2014
Sen Enzi, Michael B. [R-WY]--5/1/2014
Sen Fischer, Deb [R-NE]--5/1/2014
Sen Flake, Jeff [R-AZ]--5/1/2014
Sen Graham, Lindsey [R-SC]--5/1/2014
Sen Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]--5/1/2014
Sen Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]--5/1/2014
Sen Heller, Dean [R-NV]--5/1/2014
Sen Inhofe, James M. [R-OK]--5/1/2014
Sen Isakson, Johnny [R-GA]--5/1/2014
Sen Johanns, Mike [R-NE]--5/1/2014
Sen Johnson, Ron [R-WI]--5/1/2014
Sen Kirk, Mark Steven [R-IL]--5/1/2014
Sen Lee, Mike [R-UT]--5/1/2014
Sen McCain, John [R-AZ]--5/1/2014
Sen McConnell, Mitch [R-KY]--5/1/2014
Sen Moran, Jerry [R-KS]--5/1/2014
Sen Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]--5/1/2014
Sen Paul, Rand [R-KY]--5/1/2014
Sen Portman, Rob [R-OH]--5/1/2014
Sen Risch, James E. [R-ID]--5/1/2014
Sen Roberts, Pat [R-KS]--5/1/2014
Sen Rubio, Marco [R-FL]--5/1/2014
Sen Scott, Tim [R-SC]--5/1/2014
Sen Sessions, Jeff [R-AL]--5/1/2014
Sen Shelby, Richard C. [R-AL]--5/1/2014
Sen Thune, John [R-SD]--5/1/2014
Sen Toomey, Pat [R-PA]--5/1/2014
Sen Vitter, David [R-LA]--5/1/2014
Sen Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS]--5/1/2014
Ms. LANDRIEU. I also want to put into the Record the 35-plus very
powerful organizations that range from business to labor to
manufacturers that have been a strong and powerful and vocal coalition
for over 5 years in their efforts to bring us together. They have come
together. The question is whether the Members of Congress will come
together. These groups have come together. It is not often that you see
the laborers, pipefitters, boilermakers, and builders and trades all
together sitting down with the Chamber of Commerce and the American
Petroleum Institute, but they managed to find common ground at a common
table, and America will be best served when the Members of this body
and the House do the same.
I also want to put into the Record two short statements, and this is
directed to those who are on the other side of this issue and who are
wavering or are not sure. I want to put into the Record that the
environmental review process has been conducted over 5 \1/2\ years. The
review process has been thorough. Five studies have been conducted, as
required by law, and are complete.
I want to repeat that. The five environmental studies that are
required by law have been conducted. They are completed. I ask
unanimous consent that material be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Support for Keystone XL
American Chemistry Council, American Concrete Pressure Pipe
Association, American Exploration & Production Council,
American Highway Users Alliance, American Petroleum
Institute, American Road & Transportation Builders
Association, American Trucking Association, Associated
General Contractors of America, Association of Oil Pipe
Lines, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute.
Distribution Contractors Association, Independent Petroleum
Association of America, Industrial Minerals Association-North
America, Institute for 21st Century Energy, International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Laborers' International
Union of North America, National Asphalt Pavement
Association, National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors,
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, National Stone,
Sand, and Gravel Association.
North America's Building Trades Unions, Petroleum Equipment
Suppliers Association, Portland Cement Association, SPI: The
Plastic Industry Trade Association, The United Association of
Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting
Industry of the United States and Canada, American Concrete
Pavement Association, American Council of Engineering
Companies.
American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, American Iron
and Steel Institute, American Rental Association, American
Supply Association, Associated Equipment Distributors,
Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Business Roundtable,
Consumer Energy Alliance, Energy Equipment & Infrastructure
Alliance, Industrial Fasteners Institute.
Industrial Union of Operating Engineers, Institute of
Makers of Explosives, International Union of Operating
Engineers, Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and
Innovation, National Association of Manufacturers, National
Electrical Contractors Association, National Roofing
Contractors Association, National Utility Contractors
Association, North American Die Casting Association,
Petroleum Marketers Association of America, Small Business
and Entrepreneurship Council, Steel Manufacturers
Association, US Oil & Gas Association, Western Energy
Alliance.
Background Info
Review Process: Five and a half years since it was first
proposed in 2008, we are still reviewing it. The review
process has been thorough. The five studies that have been
conducted, as required by law, are complete.
1. April 16, 2010--Department of State issues its Draft
Environmental Impact Statement. It opens a 45-day comment
period, which it extends for additional days.
2. April 15, 2011--Department of State issues a
Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement and opens
another 45-day comment period. More than 280,000 comments are
received.
3. August 26, 2011--Department of State issues its Final
Environmental Impact Statement and opens up a 90-day review
period. The agency continues accepting public comments.
4. March 1, 2013--The U.S. State Department issued its
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Keystone
XL Presidential Permit application, which includes the
proposed new route through Nebraska. The SEIS findings are
similar to the Department's FEIS issued last August, which
found the pipeline will have limited adverse environmental
impacts.
5. January 31, 2014--The U.S. State Department issued its
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the
permit application, confirming the project is safe and will
have limited environmental impacts. The report reflects that
TransCanada has agreed to incorporate 59 special safety
conditions.
Ms. LANDRIEU. In addition, the only other requirement is from the
State Department, and I want to put this into the Record. But the
bottom line is the last statement of the State Department finds ``there
will be no significant impact on the environment from the [Keystone XL]
project.'' I ask unanimous consent that it be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[[Page S5895]]
Latest Environmental Impact Study From State Department
The EIS finds that there will be no significant impact on
the environment from the project.
State Department finds that crude oil from the pipeline is
unlikely to be exported, because the transport cost of
getting it to the U.S. combined with transport overseas would
be uneconomical.
The study also finds that the failure to construct the
pipeline will not negatively affect the rate at which oil is
extracted from the oil sands--that is, State Department
predicts that rail transport expansion will be able to
support additional production.
Ms. LANDRIEU. The path today is crystal clear. Today it is crystal
clear. There is no guarantee that next week or next month or when the
Republicans take the majority that the path could be as clear as it is
today. Let us not miss this opportunity. Let us get our work done on
the Keystone XL Pipeline, an important project in this country, and
send a message that we have heard the voters and show that trust with
us begins today on their behalf.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee.
Mr. ALEXANDER. I thank the Presiding Officer and the Senator from
Louisiana.
____________________