Jeff Denham: “I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, as was duly noted, this bill is about jobs. This will create jobs, tens…”

“I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, as was duly noted, this bill is about jobs. This will create jobs, tens of thousands of American jobs, which are long overdue, to enhance our energy independence and strengthen our national security. However, today I want to simply talk about the safety of this pipeline. As the chairman noted, TransCanada has agreed to a number of additional mitigation measures to make the Keystone XL pipeline the safest ever built. These 59 special conditions were recommended by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and go above and beyond current regulations. Several conditions will help ensure the use of high-quality steel welds, both of which will reduce the chance of a pipeline release. The pipeline will also include automatic shutoff valves and increase the depth of coverage. In many places, the pipeline will be buried a foot deeper than the regulations require. Furthermore, TransCanada will provide enhanced right-of-way inspections and greater transparency. I believe in an all-of-the-above energy solution which includes this important pipeline that will not only create jobs but will help us to be energy independent. This project will create private sector jobs while being the safest pipeline ever built. This project, again, has been bipartisan. It passed out of three committees with bipartisan support.…”