Newsletter: Is it Time Yet?

Statement

This week the House will vote on the Senate's version of a bill to (yet again) approve the Keystone XL pipeline. The President has promised to veto it despite virtually every roadblock he has laid down having been cleared. Fifty-seven percent of Americans support the pipeline, nine Democrat Senators voted for it when it passed the Senate last week, and the Nebraska Supreme Court cleared the pipeline last month in a ruling that the President had longed claimed was the main reason for his delay.

The Pipeline has been in the approval process since September 19, 2008, when the application was first submitted to the U.S. State Department. That's 2,334 days, or more than six years. The actual construction of the pipeline would range from one to two years. If the pipeline had gone through a reasonable approval timeline, it would have been completed two to three years ago. Enough with the games, Mr. President, it's time to build.

Here are some quick facts on this project:

· The Keystone XL pipeline would connect Canadian oil sands all the way to the Gulf Coast, moving up to 830,000 barrels of oil per day - half the amount the U.S. imports from the Middle East - decreasing our oil dependence on countries that don't share America's interests.

· On January 31, 2014, the State Department - which is responsible for the cross-border pipeline approval process - issued its final Environmental Impact Statement noting the pipeline will have limited environmental impacts. In fact, there would be greater safety and environmental risks if the pipeline isn't built since fuel would still be transported by truck or rail.

· On January 12, 2015, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3, the Keystone XL Pipeline Act, introduced by Rep. Kevin Cramer (ND-At Large). I was proud to support this legislation, which expedites approval of all necessary permits for the Keystone XL pipeline and limits litigation that would further tie up the project. This legislation passed the House by a bipartisan 266 to 153 vote.

· On January 29, 2015, nine Senate Democrats joined Senate Republicans to vote in favor of a similar version of the Keystone XL legislation, securing strong passage of 62 to 39.

· On February 11, 2015, the House is expected to vote on, and likely pass, the final version of the Keystone XL approval and send to the President's desk for his signature.

There is no reason for further delay. Wisconsinites and the American people want this pipeline and they want the new American Congress to lead. We will not allow the President's veto threat to stand in the way of more than 40,000 jobs and American energy independence. The President is the only person standing in the way of this project: it's time for him to move -- it's time to build.

For updates on the latest movement on Keystone XL and other key pieces of legislation, make sure to like or follow my Facebook and Twitter pages. Also, please see the column on the right for tomorrow's town hall schedule. Until next week…

Source