Bud Shuster: “I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 1938, the North American-Made Energy…”

“I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 1938, the North American-Made Energy Security Act. As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, I appreciate the hard work of my colleague from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) and of my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee to bring this bill forward, with whom our committees share jurisdiction. This important legislation directs the President to expedite the consideration and approval of the construction and operation of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. This important project has been delayed for far too long, and as my colleague from Nebraska pointed out, it is one month away from its 3-year anniversary from its introduction. The time has come for the President to finally move forward and make a decision. This legislation doesn't force the President to make a ``yes'' or ``no'' decision, but it does require the President to issue a final order granting or denying the Presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline no later than November 1, 2011. This $7 billion, 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline would link Canada's tar sands region with refineries in the Midwest and Texas. The economic impacts of the Keystone XL pipeline are immense, with estimates of 465,000 U.S. jobs stemming from the oil sands development by the year 2035.…”