Approving Keystone Pipeline Will Create Jobs and Boost American Energy Independence

Floor Speech

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, President Obama has been going around the country saying that he is taking action through Executive order because ``we can't wait'' on the Congress. However, he has just said that he is going to put the largest job-creating project in America on ice.

When it comes to creating jobs and providing additional resources for energy, the President can wait. In fact, he's putting the Keystone pipeline off until after the 2012 election. That is nonsense and hypocritical.

This pipeline will not only create tens of thousands of jobs, it will also help to dramatically reduce our dependence on oil from despotic Middle Eastern petrostates. By blocking and delaying this important project, the Obama administration is standing squarely in the way of economic growth and energy independence.

It's time to get serious about approving this pipeline. It has broad support, and its builders have demonstrated a strong willingness to do what it takes to reduce potential environmental impact, even going so far as to propose changing its route.

Mr. Speaker, this project makes sense for our economy and for our national security and energy independence. It's long past time the Obama administration stopped blocking its progress, because the American people can't wait on this issue.

But the President again seems oblivious to the fact that we have a real unemployment rate of approximately 26 million people. I want to read some information put out by the Republican Conference this morning.

``According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of Americans who are either unemployed, underemployed, or not searching because they've been discouraged by the job market has reached 26 million people. In October, nearly 14 million workers were unemployed, with an additional 8.9 million working part time because they could not find full-time work. There were also 2.5 million workers who were available for work but had stopped actively searching because of the economic conditions. All told, over 16 percent of the U.S. workforce is now unemployed or underemployed.'' And yet the President won't make a decision on the Keystone pipeline that would create tens of thousands of jobs.

Republicans, though, have taken action. We have over 20 bills sitting in the Senate, introduced by Republicans but passed by a bipartisan House majority, and these will all create jobs in this country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the American people to go to jobs.gop.gov and click on ``track legislation'' for them to see the evidence of what Republicans are promoting in the House of Representatives that is being stopped in the Senate. Yes, there is a do-nothing part of the Congress, Mr. Obama, but that is in the Senate, which is controlled by the Democrats.

So again, I want to urge Americans to go to jobs.gop.gov and click on ``track legislation.'' Republicans have the will to help create jobs in this country through empowering small businesses and reducing government barriers to job creation, fixing the Tax Code, boosting competitiveness, encouraging entrepreneurship, maximizing American energy production, and paying down America's unsustainable debt burden and starting to live within our means.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to address their remarks to the Chair.

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