[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 139 (Friday, November 14, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1579-E1580]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  APPROVAL OF THE KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. SUZANNE BONAMICI

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 13, 2014

  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my opposition to 
H.R. 5682, a bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline by circumventing 
the ongoing regulatory process. Rather than building infrastructure to 
transport dirty fossil fuels, we should be creating new jobs for our 
constituents by modernizing our transportation system and upgrading 
failing infrastructure.
  Despite some recent gains, our economic recovery is not yet reaching 
all of our constituents. I agree with supporters of this bill from both 
sides of the aisle that we must not delay consideration of legislation 
putting our constituents back to work. House leadership

[[Page E1580]]

should allow us to vote on and pass a long-term transportation bill, 
for example. The proposal before us will result in short term job gains 
in some areas, but the tradeoff is a continued reliance on an outdated, 
dirty energy source.
  There is a long list of important legislation awaiting consideration 
by this Congress that will support new jobs, including the National 
Infrastructure Development Bank Act, the Bring Jobs Home Act, the Make 
it in America Manufacturing Act, and legislation to extend tax 
provisions that lead to the construction of clean energy projects. I 
have no doubt we can find consensus on these and other policies that 
will increase American competitiveness and put our constituents back to 
work, but the bill I opposed today is not the approach we should be 
taking.
  I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill so we can work together to 
create new economic opportunities for our constituents.

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