"YES" on Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act
"YES" on Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act
On Tuesday, the Senate will vote on Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act (S. 2280), introduced by Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.). The project would increase America's energy security, create thousands of jobs, and increase revenue in the states is runs through. Pipelines are the safest way to transport oil, yet Keystone's approval has been stalled in the upper chamber for six years.
The House has voted to approve the pipeline nine times, most recently last week. Heritage Action key voted in favor of the House passed bill in May of 2013, noting how beneficial it would be for job creation, the environment, and energy security. The construction of the Keystone pipeline is still in the best interest of the American people, though it is evident political calculations are a motivating factor for the current push by many Senate Democrats, most notably Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.).
The 1,200 mile pipeline would transport 380,000 barrels of oil daily from Alberta, Canada, to the Gulf Coast and would create an estimated 15,000 jobs, something conservatives have long stated.
Although the project has also long enjoyed bipartisan support, President Obama has worked on behalf of radical environmentalists to delay its completion. The State Department has conducted numerous reviews of the environmental impacts of the project on soil, wetlands, water resources, vegetation, fish, wildlife, and endangered species and has repeatedly confirmed it would be safe and not contribute significantly to climate change. As the Heritage Foundation's Nick Loris notes, "Even those who believe that climate change is heading toward catastrophic outcomes note that Keystone XL is only 0.2 percent of the 'carbon budget.'"
For too long, the politics of the left, radical environmentalists, and President Obama and his congressional allies have stood in the way of Keystone's construction, despite clear evidence it would produce thousands of jobs for Americans with no significant negative impact on the environment.
Heritage Action supports S. 2280 and will include it as a key vote on our legislative scorecard.
Related:
Heritage Action's Legislative Scorecard
"YES" on Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act