On the recordJanuary 13, 2015
My colleague has already given me some time this morning--and I can certainly come back and add more to the debate--but what I am outlining is exactly how this process has circumvented the laws of this land. One more action by this body is exactly what this special interest company is seeking. If Congress had succeeded in pushing the President of the United States into agreeing to the original route through Nebraska in 2011, the route would have been right through the Ogallala Aquifer. Even TransCanada had already agreed that it needed to change the route. I don't know why we are being asked to push something through when we really should allow the State Department to do its job. I will have much more to say on this process of the circumventing of public interest; about the devastating spill in the Kalamazoo River, and the fact that we don't know all we need to know about tar sands cleanup in water; and the fact that Midwest gasoline prices could be affected if this pipeline is approved. There are many issues. So I will gladly debate this with my colleagues throughout the rest of this week. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
