WASHINGTON, May 8, 2012 — In a bipartisan effort to put the Keystone XL pipeline on the fast track, 110 House members signed a letter co-authored by Chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Congressman Connie Mack (R-FL) that urges the Transportation Bill Conference Committee to include language that would build the Keystone XL pipeline immediately.
Chairman Mack held the first Congressional hearing on the Keystone XL pipeline more than a year ago in the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee and introduced language supported by the largest, bipartisan coalition across the House and the Senate to construct the Keystone XL pipeline.
Below is a text of the letter:
May 7, 2012
The Honorable Barbara Boxer The Honorable John Mica
United States Senate US House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable James Inhofe The Honorable Nick Rahall
United States Senate US House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Conferees:
As you work to reconcile differences between House and Senate versions of the transportation bill, we write to urge you to ensure the inclusion of language relating to the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline without adding obstacles to the flow of U.S. energy imports and exports.
Constructing the Keystone XL pipeline would increase American national and energy security while helping to stabilize and lower gas prices. Reliable oil imports from our northern neighbor and ally, Canada, would counter the uncertainty in energy markets produced by political and economic unrest in other major oil producing nations. Analysis conducted by EnSys Energy for the Department of Energy projects that, in the long-term, reduced U.S. demand for petroleum products in combination with increased imports of Canadian crude could “essentially eliminate” Middle East crude imports. Increased imports of Canadian crude would also allow the termination of imports from countries like Venezuela, preventing American dollars from propping up dangerous regimes like that of Hugo Chavez.
Keystone XL would create jobs and have a positive impact on the American economy. Energy Policy Research Foundation, Inc. estimates that 15,000 construction jobs will be created to install the pipeline, and five major labor unions have endorsed the project. Thousands of jobs will be created as refineries expand and contractors build equipment to construct the pipeline. The project will also funnel millions of dollars of indirect activity into the economy and to States along the pipeline route through property taxes.
In addition to the bipartisan support in the House and Senate, a solid majority of Americans support construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. The Conference Committee has the opportunity to ensure the Keystone XL pipeline is built quickly and properly through the transportation bill. We hope you will ensure that language to allow for its construction is included in the conference report.
We appreciate your attention to this pressing matter.
Sincerely,
_______________ ________________
LEE TERRY CONNIE MACK
Member of Congress Member of Congress
Signatures:
Kevin Brady (TX-08) Cliff Stearns (FL-06)
Pete Olson (TX-22) Jeff Miller (FL-01)
Ralph Hall (TX-04) Cory Gardner (CO-04)
Robert Schilling (IL-17) James Sensenbrenner (WI-05)
Sean Duffy (WI-07) Wally Herger (CA-02)
Leonard Lance (NJ-07) Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (WA-05)
Francisco Canseco (TX-23) John Carter (TX-31)
Kenny Marchant (TX-24) Virginia Foxx (NC-05)
Michael Fitzpatrick (PA-08) Mo Brooks (AL-05)
Gary Miller (CA-42) Spencer Bachus (AL-06)
Tom McClintock (CA-04) Bill Johnson (OH-06)
Ken Calvert (CA-44) Jim Renacci (OH-16)
Jerry Lewis (CA-41) Steven LaTourette (OH-14)
Adam Kinzinger (IL-11) Tom Latham (IA-04)
Aaron Schock (IL-18) Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-09)
Joe Wilson (SC-02) Glenn Thompson (PA-05)
Phil Gingrey (GA-11) Greg Walden (OR-02)
Gregg Harper (MS-03) Joe Barton (TX-06)
Joseph Pitts (PA-16) Ander Crenshaw (FL-04)
Michael Burgess (TX-26) Jim Gerlach (PA-06)
Tim Murphy (PA-18) Brett Guthrie (KY-02)
John Sullivan (OK-01) Denny Rehberg (MT-At Large)
Kay Granger (TX-12) Bob Gibbs (OH-18)
Mike Coffman (CO-06) Lynn Westmoreland (GA-03)
Randy Neugebauer (TX-19) Marsha Blackburn (TN-07)
Mac Thornberry (TX-13) Tim Griffin (AR-02)
Thomas Petri (WI-06) John Shimkus (IL-19)
David McKinley (WV-01) Stevan Pearce (NM-02)
Patrick Meehan (PA-07) Sue Wilkins Myrick (NC-09)
Mick Mulvaney (SC-05) Rodney Alexander (LA-05)
Mike Pompeo (KS-04) John Fleming (LA-04)
Tom Graves (GA-09) Charles Boustany, Jr. (LA-07)
Jean Schmidt (OH-02) Jim Matheson (UT-02)
Robert Hurt (VA-05) Steve Stivers (OH-15)
Robert Latta (OH-05) John Culberson (TX-07)
Frank Lucas (OK-03) Joseph Heck (NV-03)
Michael Simpson (ID-02) Thaddeus McCotter (MI-11)
Sandy Adams (FL-24) Mike Kelly (PA-03)
Bill Flores (TX-17) Lou Barletta (PA-11)
Rob Woodall (GA-07) Tom Marino (PA-10)
Lynn Jenkins (KS-02) Charles Fleischmann (TN-03)
John Kline (MN-02) Jack Kingston (GA-01)
Allen West (FL-22) Louie Gohmert (TX-01)
Howard McKeon (CA-25) Dan Boren (OK-02)
Tim Scott (SC-01) Walter Jones (NC-03)
Mike Rogers (MI-08) Mike McIntyre (NC-07)
Michael Conaway (TX-11) Candice Miller (MI-10)
Trey Gowdy (SC-04) Sam Johnson (TX-03)
Todd Young (IN-09) Ann Marie Buerkle (NY-25)
Peter King (NY-03) Kristi Noem (SD-At Large)
Joe Walsh (IL-08) Scott Rigell (VA-02)
David Rivera (FL-25) Ted Poe (TX-02)
Tim Walberg (MI-07) Edward Royce (CA-40)
Kathleen Hochul (NY-26) Jeff Landry (LA-03)
Richard Nugent (FL-05) Alan Nunnelee (MS-01)
