Capito Joins House in Passing Bipartisan Keystone Pipeline, Jobs Legislation

Statement

Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (WV-02) released the following statement after joining her colleagues in the House in passing H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act. This bipartisan legislation would end the barriers preventing construction on the Keystone XL Pipeline, a $7 billion private-sector investment that would directly create 20,000 jobs and an estimated 100,000 jobs indirectly.

"Despite the overwhelming support of the American people, President Obama has single-handedly stood in the way of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would directly create 20,000 new jobs and many more indirectly. It has been over 1,700 days since the application for the project was filed, yet the president continues to drag his feet. The pipeline is not only a job creator, but it could move 830,000 barrels of oil per day, which represents about half the amount the U.S. imports from the Middle East.

"The Keystone XL is the most studied pipeline in our nation's history, and with more than 15,500 pages of review indicating that the project is safe and in the national interest, it is time to move forward. An energy economy is a jobs economy. It is time to forge ahead with the pipeline and take steps toward energy independence."

Source