Bill Pascrell: “Thank you, Ranking Member. Mr. Speaker, we know that building the Keystone pipeline will create some jobs, and it can…”

“Thank you, Ranking Member. Mr. Speaker, we know that building the Keystone pipeline will create some jobs, and it can even help lower consumers' prices, but many of these jobs are temporary, which is true in most capital cases anyway. The price of oil has already fallen below $50 a barrel for the first time since 2009. We really got some good news about jobs today again. We added 252,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate is the lowest since 2008--I think May or June of that year. While we are going in the right direction, we need some serious creation of jobs and at least a reach-out to the administration, ``Hey, you are doing a pretty good job on this, on oil prices, on gasoline prices,'' just a little bit of encouragement. We all roll on the same ship, come on. You boost our energy security, and you save consumers money at the pump, but the debate over Keystone has become a symbolic issue. Come on, let's admit it. It is clear that this fight is vastly greater than the economic, environmental, or energy impact. It is the end of the world if you listen to the extremes of both sides. I could support the construction of this pipeline but do not believe Congress should circumvent the administrative view. Mr. Speaker, let me just recommend something perhaps through you to the Chair. I believe that the reason why we have this problem is the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has nothing to say about oil lines. They do on gas lines, but not oil lines.…”