Erik Paulsen: “It is time for the President to put politics aside and approve the Keystone pipeline. It has been nearly 6 years since…”

“It is time for the President to put politics aside and approve the Keystone pipeline. It has been nearly 6 years since the application for Keystone was submitted. Recently, I had the opportunity to see the domestic energy production happening in the Bakken oilfields in North Dakota. The increased energy production in North Dakota has lessened our dependence on foreign oil, created good-paying jobs, and helped reduce the State's unemployment to the lowest in the country. Approving the Keystone pipeline would have the same effect, creating 42,000 construction jobs and as many as 118,000 spin-off jobs. Mr. Speaker, news of the recent oil tanker derailments remind us of the increased pressure that our railways are under from shipping more oil. Keystone will absolutely help immediately ease this burden by moving 700,000 barrels a day through the pipeline. The bottom line here is everyone is standing ready to move forward on this project. I urge my colleagues to continue their bipartisan support for approving the Keystone pipeline. ____________________”