House approves Keystone Pipeline bill
A bill to approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline project was approved today by the U.S. House of Representatives.
H.R. 3, introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., provides for the immediate approval of the Keystone project, delayed for years by the administration. The bill passed the House by a vote of 266 to 153.
“By its very nature, infrastructure improvement creates jobs, and the Keystone pipeline is no exception. Keystone will be a tremendous boon to economic development, and it doesn’t require a single federal dollar to build. It’s time to get the federal government out of the way of the private sector and job creation,” Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa., a co-sponsor of the legislation, said in a statement. “In addition to providing thousands of good-paying jobs, this project will provide a critical addition to our energy infrastructure network and help strengthen our energy security.”
According to the U.S. State Department, the Keystone XL project will support 40,100 jobs and $2 billion in earnings, and will transport an estimated 830,000 barrels of oil per day – the equivalent of nearly half of U.S. imports from the Middle East.
“Across the country, the prevailing issue that seems to be on everyone’s minds is jobs,” U.S. Rep. Mimi Walters, R-Calif., said in a statement. “Passing the Keystone Pipeline Act will not only create tens of thousands of new jobs, but it will also increase our nation’s oil supply and thus reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
“Furthermore, it will grow our national gross domestic product by approximately $3.4 billion, and generate a substantial increase in tax revenues,” Walters added. “Passing the Keystone Pipeline Act is a no-brainer, and I’m pleased to be supporting this pro-growth bill during my first week in Congress. It is my hope that the Senate will act swiftly to pass this legislation, and that the President will join our efforts to create solutions that move this country forward.”
