11.14.14

Hoeven Statement on House Passage of His Bill to Approve the Keystone XL Pipeline

Senate to Vote on Hoeven Bill Tuesday

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement in response to the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of his Keystone XL approval bill:

“I’m pleased the House has passed our bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. Representative Cassidy took the lead on our bill in the House. Now the Senate will vote on it Tuesday. Of course, we need to get sixty votes. If we don’t get 60 votes in the lame duck, then I will reintroduce the bill in the new Congress and I believe I have the votes to pass it then.

"Yesterday, President Obama made comments from Asia that directly contradict the findings of his own agencies. The State Department’s most recent environmental review found that the project will create approximately 42,000 direct and indirect jobs during the construction phase, which is why labor and business have made common cause in support of the Keystone XL project.

“Further, a report by the Obama Energy Department found that oil piped from Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast refineries will stay in the United States, helping to reduce the price of fuel at the pump for American consumers and businesses.

“The Keystone XL pipeline is about energy, jobs, helping to grow our economy and increasing national security by increasing energy security. We do not want to depend on the Middle East for oil when we can produce it at home, along with our closest ally Canada. But to have a sound energy plan, we need the infrastructure to move that energy to market, safely and efficiently.”