Concurrent Resolution on the Budget, Fiscal Year 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I ask this amendment be opposed. It is an effort to prevent construction of the most studied pipeline in the history of the United States. After four environmental impact statements, every one of the reports has shown no environmental impact. Every State on the route has approved this project. The studies which are asked for in this amendment have been done.

In 2011, the Department of Energy provided a report and said the oil will be used in this country, and we will need more. In addition, this would preclude local eminent domain laws which would prevent the pipeline from being constructed. It also says you can't use any materials manufactured in Canada for a pipeline which is built half in Canada and half in the United States.

I urge a ``nay'' vote.

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Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, this amendment is a bipartisan amendment. It puts the Senate on record in support of the Keystone Pipeline project, and that is just appropriate. As I said just a minute ago, every State has approved the project. The Department of State has done four environmental impact statements over the last 5 years--four--and has said there are no significant environmental impacts. So it is time the Senate stepped up with the American people.

In a recent poll 70 percent of the American public said: Build the pipeline. Only 17 percent said they opposed it. So it is time for us to enjoin every single State on the route to say we support this project. We support this pipeline. After 5 years, let's build it.

This is energy, this is jobs, this is getting our economy going and growing, and this is making sure we don't have to import oil from the Middle East. It is not just oil from Canada, it is oil from the great State of North Dakota and Montana--light, sweet crude we need to get to our refineries. Please join me in voting yea.

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