[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

[[Page S5888]]

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,

[[Page S5889]]

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.

[[Page S5890]]

  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.

[[Page S5891]]

  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.

                          ____________________