A More Secure Energy Future in America

Floor Speech

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, again and again we have heard from this President and this administration that we need to embrace an ``all-of-the-above'' approach when it comes to meeting and supplying our country's energy needs. At the end of the day, this has simply turned into a ``none-of-the-above'' strategy of failure by this administration.

Mr. Speaker, this is not complicated. Approving construction of the Keystone XL pipeline is the first and easiest step that we can take in order to embrace our energy future immediately, build jobs, and gain economic security.

The application to build the Keystone XL pipeline has been gaining dust at the U.S. State Department for more than 4 years awaiting approval. Each subsequent day that decision isn't made further denies this country greater energy security and the creation of over half a million jobs by 2035.

By the State Department's own calculations, the number of potential jobs through construction alone stands at over 42,000. With the unemployment rate being above 7.5 percent for 4 of the years that the Presidential permit has been pending, this just economically is irresponsible.

With over 15,500 pages already produced in its National Environmental Policy Act review over the past 4 1/2 years, under the President's schedule, we must still wait for yet another report and even more pages to determine whether construction of the pipeline would be in the ``national interest.''

At any moment, the President could step in and immediately order approval of the pipeline, yet he continues to sit idly by while more and more people, including a majority of the general public and even members of his own party, come out in support of the XL pipeline.

Mr. Speaker, it is beyond a reasonable doubt that creating thousands of jobs and providing the American people more sources of oil by approving this infrastructure project that costs the American taxpayers no money is definitely in the national interest. So what are we waiting for?

Today, the House of Representatives will take up H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act, which will approve the Keystone XL construction application without a Presidential permit and let the American people know that we will not wait around any longer. At the end of the day, this crude will find its way to foreign markets one way or another, and construction of this pipeline will guarantee our access to it and help secure energy independence in North America.

Today, the average price for a gallon of gas in America is around $3.60, which is nearly $2 more than when President Obama first took office. As the summer driving season approaches, that historically threatens to bring even higher gas prices for American families and businesses. Ensuring that every environmentally safe source of oil is available in order to maintain an adequate domestic supply is absolutely vital.

Because the President, yet again, refuses to act on an issue of such great importance for the Nation, this Congress will lead by sending a clear message to the families of this great Nation that we stand with you, we stand with jobs, and we stand for a more secure energy future here in America.

Source