Keystone XL Pipeline

Floor Speech

Mr. McCONNELL. On an entirely different matter, later today the Senate will vote on whether to send Congressman Cassidy's Keystone jobs bill to the President. It is a vote that is long overdue but certainly welcome. Keystone XL is just common sense. It is a shovel-ready jobs project that would help thousands of Americans find work. It would increase our supply of North American energy. It would do all of that with minimal net climate impact. That is why the American people support it. That is why Republicans support it. That is why so many rank-and-file Democrats support it too.

I wish the Senate would have followed the lead of Congressman Cassidy and his House colleagues in approving Keystone years ago. It is just common sense. Those who took a serious look at the science and the potential benefits reached that conclusion long ago. They understand that the whole drama over Keystone has been as protracted as it has been unnecessary. We hope to turn the page on all of that today.

The reason we are able to have this vote is because the American people sent a strong message earlier this month. They told us they just want Washington to get on with approving serious policies such as Keystone and then move on. That is why after years of delay and so many thwarted attempts to bring Keystone up for a vote, the Democratic leadership is finally, after 6 years, allowing us to vote on passage of the Cassidy Keystone bill. That is a good thing. It is a step forward. Now it will be up to our friends on the other side to vote with us and actually pass the Cassidy Keystone bill through Congress.

The President's remarks opposing this bipartisan legislation are certainly not helpful. Republicans are committed to getting Keystone approved. We want to see those jobs created as soon as possible. That is what the people want. The House already acted long ago, and Congressman Cassidy and his colleagues, such as Senator Hoeven, who is here on the floor, deserve recognition for their years of hard work on this issue.

So I would urge a ``yes'' vote on the legislation to send Congressman Cassidy's Keystone bill to the President and create more American jobs. If not, then a new majority, after the beginning of the year, will be taking this matter up and sending it down to the President.

I also wish to take a moment to thank the Senator from North Dakota for his persistence on this issue for literally years.

Without his leadership I don't know where we would be. I just want to extend my gratitude to him for his great work on this matter.

I yield the floor.

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