[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 137 (Wednesday, November 12, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S5896]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I have been on the floor now for a 
couple of hours urging some of our colleagues to take heed of one of 
the clear messages from this election. People all over the country 
voted and spoke, and spoke clearly and loudly to say let's get to work, 
let's work together, let's stop the gridlock and let's find common 
ground to move our country forward.
  Two hours ago I came to the floor to see about one of the most 
important pieces of legislation, the Keystone Pipeline, as Chair of the 
Energy Committee in the Senate. I have had the great privilege of 
working in a bipartisan manner with the Members of the Republican 
Caucus on this bill led by Senator Hoeven. I am the lead sponsor on the 
Democratic side and there is a large group of my colleagues trying to 
convince this body to have a vote, and a strong 60-vote margin, which 
is required for passage on the Keystone Pipeline. The Senator from West 
Virginia has come down and the Senator from North Dakota came down to 
speak and the Senator from Montana joined me, and I want to announce we 
have just gotten great word from the House of Representatives. 
Evidently they heard us speaking, and they have introduced our bill in 
the House.
  They have introduced our bill in the House, and the information we 
have gotten is that they plan to pass it tomorrow. Let me just say 
hallelujah. I will say it again--hallelujah--because their bill would 
never have passed this body and their bill would not have any chance of 
getting the President's signature because it is Keystone Pipeline 
plus--or it was--but now the House has introduced the exact same bill 
as the Hoeven-Landrieu bill. We now have an even clearer path to 
victory. I started 2 hours ago saying that I could see the path. I am 
not sure everybody else could, but it is clear to me now that everybody 
is starting to see it, and I could not be happier.
  I don't have the actual number of the House bill. I was just told 
they introduced an identical bill, including the private property 
language, which is absolutely essential to secure the 60 votes 
required. That is why I drafted it in the bill, that is why Senator 
Hoeven insisted it be in the bill, and that is why we have it in the 
bill. I thank the House for keeping that language, which is important 
for its ultimate passage. To me, it looks as though just in the last 2 
hours lots of people are paying attention, and this is wonderful 
because this is an important step.
  I believe I am also a cosponsor of Senator Alexander's bill. No 
Senator has worked harder in either party, and that is saying a lot 
because Senator Murray and Senator Mikulski have worked hard on this 
issue. Senator Alexander--a former Secretary of Education--has been 
ceaseless and tireless in his effort on behalf of early childhood 
education. He and I worked together when President Bush was President. 
I believe and I hope I am a cosponsor of his bill, and I look forward 
to helping him move that piece of legislation forward for a vote. There 
might be a few things in there other Members disagree with, but that is 
our process. This is a critical issue for education and job creation as 
well. We have the Keystone Pipeline on one end, which is as concrete as 
steel, and then we have the soft issues, which are also important 
issues, such as economic development, which begins with early childhood 
education. I am so proud to be an advocate of both bills, and I thank 
the Senator for his leadership.
  I urge my Members, who I believe have been very supportive on this 
issue--as have the Republican Members--to give cloture on his bill.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oklahoma.

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