Kevin Roberts: “I would like to ask support for my amendment that would approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. It would expand oil and gas…”

“I would like to ask support for my amendment that would approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. It would expand oil and gas exploration on Federal lands and would extend certain tax provisions that are utilized by a number of individuals and businesses throughout the country. The base of my amendment includes most but not all of the expired energy tax incentives addressed in the amendment that will be offered by my friends on the other side of the aisle. But there is a clear difference in that my amendment addresses the supply side of the equation and avoids extending some of the costly energy provisions that were created under the failed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; i.e., the stimulus. While I support many of the tax provisions included in the Democrats' counterproposal, the majority amendment fails to address the No. 1 issue facing Americans of every walk of life, from farmers to manufacturers, to teachers, which is the rising cost of gasoline. My amendment does just that, and it implements the important first steps toward increasing domestic supplies of conventional energy that our country will rely on for decades to come. My amendment would cut redtape, open more Federal land for oil and gas exploration and drilling; it would approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, while also extending renewable tax provisions that benefit domestic energy production, businesses, and individuals alike.…”