Leadership calls on Cramer to help break the Keystone XL deadlock

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Congressman Cramer spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in favor of H.R. 5682, a bill sponsored in the House by Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) authorizing the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.  H.R. 5682 is identical to Senator John Hoeven’s legislation introduced in May of this year. Until now the Senate majority has not allowed a vote on the bill. With a total capacity of 830,000 barrels per day the pipeline will take 100,000 barrels per day of Bakken crude oil and provide approximately 40,000 jobs. The project has now waited 2,246 days for its required Presidential Permit.

The legislation authorizes the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of the Keystone XL pipeline, deeming the Secretary of State’s January 2014 Final Supplemental Environmental Impact sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and all other federal agency consultation or review.  In addition, the bill:

• Allows for any previous Federal permit or authorization issued for the pipeline and cross-border facilities to remain in effect;
• Provides any Federal legal challenge to solely be subject to review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia; and
• Leaves unaltered any Federal, State or local process that is necessary to secure access from an owner of private property to construct the pipeline and cross-border facilities.   

A video of Cramer’s speech can be found here. The House approved the rule for considering the bill tonight and a final vote is anticipated tomorrow. The Senate is expected to consider Sen. Hoeven’s bill next week Tuesday. On May 22, 2013, Congressman Cramer voted with 240 bipartisan Members of the House in approving H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act, which would also authorize approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.