On the recordFebruary 11, 2015
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for yielding time and the work you have done on this bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1 to approve the Keystone XL pipeline after what has turned out to be an unacceptable 6-year delay by the Obama administration. Many have stated that this bill is about creating jobs. And guess what? They are right. The pipeline would create over 40,000 jobs without a dime of taxpayer funding, helping to pull eager American workers out of the unemployment line. Approval of the pipeline would also bring down energy costs here at home, lifting a huge burden on hardworking families, small businesses, and farmers. Moreover, clearing the construction of the Keystone pipeline puts us closer to North American energy independence to reduce our dependence on oil from foreign sources that are all too often at odds with America's interests and our national security. So the bill we debate today is about jobs. It is about making energy more affordable. But it is also about making our country safer. This bill will help us stop funding both sides of the war on terror. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill.
