Over 2,260 days and counting - that is how many days have passed since backers of the Keystone XL pipeline first submitted the application to the U.S. State Department to build this project. The question remains how much longer will President Obama make America wait for jobs and energy security?
The application was submitted in 2008 but in 2012, the president rejected the project and stated that his judgment was not "on the merits of the pipeline, but the arbitrary nature of a deadline that prevented the State Department from gathering the information necessary to approve the project." When the president made those remarks, the State Department had already spent over three years reviewing the project, which is more than enough time to make a decision on a shovel-ready project that would increase U.S. jobs, energy and revenue.
In January, 2014, the State Department issued its Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the permit application which confirmed the project is safe and will have limited environmental impacts. In fact, the study found that the pipeline would be safer than shipping the oil on trucks or by rail.
As a response to that report and in an effort to continue to put pressure on the Senate and the president, the House of Representatives took action and sent another signal to stop stalling and approve the measure.
Construction of the Keystone XL pipeline is a move in the direction to make oil production less burdensome in the U.S since it will also accept oil from South Dakota and Montana. America would also benefit from encouraging more oil imports from stable allies such as Canada, and with Canada being the sixth largest producer of crude oil and sand, they are certainly a valued trade partner.
And the end result will be the creation of thousands of jobs and the reduction of our dependence on foreign oil, thereby helping to jump start our economy and stabilizing what you will pay for gas at the pumps.
I have heard from many of you in the 3rd District and a strong majority of Americans all support the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. It is my hope that in the 114th Congress, the administration and Congress can come together to approve this bipartisan measure.
U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., represents the state's 3rd District, which includes Jefferson City. His local office can be reached at 635-7232.
Link: