Keystone

The Senate finally voted on the Keystone Pipeline this week.  I believe building the pipeline from Alberta, Canada, to the U.S. Gulf Coast, which would transport 830,000 barrels of oil per day to U.S. refineries, would create jobs and help America lessen our dependence on energy from countries that don't like us very much.

The bad news is that despite bipartisan support, the measure came up one vote short of the 60 needed. The good news is we will have 60 votes in January. The new Congress will move quickly to approve the Keystone Pipeline and see if the President will sign it into law. A majority of Republican and Democratic senators agree that the Keystone Pipeline will promote American energy security while also serving as an engine of job growth across the country, including in Pennsylvania.

I look forward to voting to approving this bipartisan effort in the new Congress.

On Tuesday, I sat down with Philadelphia Councilman David Oh to discuss what improvements can be made to VA facilities in our state. Captain Bob Wagner, U.S. Army Special Forces (Ret.), Mike Manning, Co-Founder and CEO of CarePartners Plus, and William T. Lee, D.PH., MPA of Carilion Clinic Healthcare also joined us for the discussion.

The problems at the VA are outrageous and unacceptable. The men and women who served in uniform should be first in line for the best quality medical care in the world. That is why, this summer, I supported $10 billion legislation giving veterans the ability to use medical providers outside the VA, give the VA secretary authority to fire poor-performing employees, and allow the VA to hire more doctors and nurses.

The mismanagement and unethical behavior at the VA is a profound failure to honor our obligation to those who served. While we have enacted new reforms that will help, I remain concerned about a bureaucratic culture that fosters unethical behavior and is resistant to change. Much remains to be done.

Recently, I sat down with Monica Malpass of ABC 6 Inside Story. It was a great opportunity to debate issues important to our great state.

We discussed ways the new Republican Senate can be productive and move legislation to the President's desk. We talked about my bipartisan legislation with Democratic Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey that will help small businesses expand and grow. I'm hopeful we can get it done before the end of the year. This is a high priority of mine because it will help so many Pennsylvanians who work for and own small businesses.

Last week, President Obama nominated Judge Luis Restrepo to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.  Senator Bob Casey and I recommended Judge Restrepo for this post and for his current seat as a judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Judge Restrepo is an excellent choice. He has had a distinguished legal career as a prosecutor, a federal magistrate, and now judge. He drew broad bipartisan support during his confirmation to the Eastern District Court and I'm hopeful that he will be confirmed on a bipartisan basis once again.

Additionally, this week, the Senate confirmed Judge Wendy Beetlestone as a federal judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Since joining the Senate, I've worked closely with Sen. Casey to fill Pennsylvania's judicial vacancies with skilled, experienced judges.  The combination of Ms. Beetlestone's commitment to law and the wealth of legal experience she has gained in both the public and private sector qualify her to serve in this position. 

On Tuesday, we were reminded again of the threats that the citizens of Israel face every day as a horrific attack on a synagogue in Jerusalem left five dead, including a responding police officer and three American rabbis.  I join the American people in prayer for the victims of this senseless violence, their families, and the citizens of Israel.  The Palestinian Authority must provide the leadership necessary to end these unprovoked attacks and cease the incitement against Jews.