[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 3409-3410]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             IT'S TIME TO APPROVE THE KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Montana (Mr. Daines) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DAINES. Mr. Speaker, 1,636; that's how many days it has been 
since the application to build the Keystone XL pipeline was filed. It 
took Canada just 7 months to approve the pipeline. President Obama has 
taken 4\1/2\ years.
  Study after study has shown that not only is the pipeline safe, but 
it will provide a means of transporting oil that is safer than using 
trains or trucks. It is also environmentally safe. In fact, when 
compared to other means of transportation, it is perhaps the most 
environmentally friendly way to transport oil across our country. It 
will create thousands of jobs--at least 800 in my home State of 
Montana--and he still won't make a decision.
  Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department issued its Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Keystone XL Presidential permit 
application, which confirmed what we already knew. The Keystone XL 
pipeline will have no significant impacts on the environment. In fact, 
this is the fourth environmental review of the Keystone pipeline--with 
a final report still to come--even though report after report has 
stated that the pipeline will not have significant environmental 
effects.
  This report also comes after Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman approved 
a new route through his State for the Keystone XL pipeline project. 
Just this past January, I joined 150 other House Members in calling on 
President Obama to quickly approve

[[Page 3410]]

the permits for Keystone in light of this new route. That was two 
months ago, and we have yet to hear anything back from the President.
  As a member of the House Energy Action Team, I understand how 
important this project is to our Nation and to my home State of 
Montana. Let me be clear--this project means jobs for Montanans. This 
project could directly create more than 800 good-paying jobs in Montana 
and thousands more across the Nation.
  It means coming one step closer to North American energy 
independence. The Keystone XL would be able to move up to 830,000 
barrels of oil per day. That is about half the amount that the U.S. 
presently imports from the Middle East. And of the oil moved each day, 
100,000 barrels will come from the Bakken formation, which spreads 
across Montana and North Dakota.
  This isn't about politics. Republicans and Democrats alike support 
the pipeline. This is about our Nation's security. This is about 
lowering energy costs for American families. This is about American 
jobs.
  Enough is enough. We can't afford to wait any longer. It has been 
1,636 days. It's time for President Obama to approve the Keystone XL 
pipeline.

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