[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 7482]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 A MORE SECURE ENERGY FUTURE IN AMERICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Missouri (Mrs. Wagner) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, again and again we have heard from this 
President and this administration that we need to embrace an ``all-of-
the-above'' approach when it comes to meeting and supplying our 
country's energy needs. At the end of the day, this has simply turned 
into a ``none-of-the-above'' strategy of failure by this 
administration.
  Mr. Speaker, this is not complicated. Approving construction of the 
Keystone XL pipeline is the first and easiest step that we can take in 
order to embrace our energy future immediately, build jobs, and gain 
economic security.
  The application to build the Keystone XL pipeline has been gaining 
dust at the U.S. State Department for more than 4 years awaiting 
approval. Each subsequent day that decision isn't made further denies 
this country greater energy security and the creation of over half a 
million jobs by 2035.
  By the State Department's own calculations, the number of potential 
jobs through construction alone stands at over 42,000. With the 
unemployment rate being above 7.5 percent for 4 of the years that the 
Presidential permit has been pending, this just economically is 
irresponsible.
  With over 15,500 pages already produced in its National Environmental 
Policy Act review over the past 4\1/2\ years, under the President's 
schedule, we must still wait for yet another report and even more pages 
to determine whether construction of the pipeline would be in the 
``national interest.''
  At any moment, the President could step in and immediately order 
approval of the pipeline, yet he continues to sit idly by while more 
and more people, including a majority of the general public and even 
members of his own party, come out in support of the XL pipeline.
  Mr. Speaker, it is beyond a reasonable doubt that creating thousands 
of jobs and providing the American people more sources of oil by 
approving this infrastructure project that costs the American taxpayers 
no money is definitely in the national interest. So what are we waiting 
for?
  Today, the House of Representatives will take up H.R. 3, the Northern 
Route Approval Act, which will approve the Keystone XL construction 
application without a Presidential permit and let the American people 
know that we will not wait around any longer. At the end of the day, 
this crude will find its way to foreign markets one way or another, and 
construction of this pipeline will guarantee our access to it and help 
secure energy independence in North America.
  Today, the average price for a gallon of gas in America is around 
$3.60, which is nearly $2 more than when President Obama first took 
office. As the summer driving season approaches, that historically 
threatens to bring even higher gas prices for American families and 
businesses. Ensuring that every environmentally safe source of oil is 
available in order to maintain an adequate domestic supply is 
absolutely vital.
  Because the President, yet again, refuses to act on an issue of such 
great importance for the Nation, this Congress will lead by sending a 
clear message to the families of this great Nation that we stand with 
you, we stand with jobs, and we stand for a more secure energy future 
here in America.

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