Letter to John Kerry, Secretary of the Department of State - Keystone XL Pipeline

Letter

Dear Secretary Kerry:

As members of Indiana's delegation in Congress, we respectfully request the Department of State and Obama Administration rule that the Keystone XL Pipeline's construction is in the national interest to complete.

The state of Indiana and the country will benefit greatly from the full construction of this $7 billion, 1,700 mile pipeline. From manufacturing and transportation to utilities and agriculture, this project will create jobs and lower costs for hard-working Hoosiers.

Given that the southern leg of the pipeline has been in operation since January 2014, completion of the northern leg would ensure transport of 830,000 barrels of oil per day to the Gulf Coast and Midwest refineries from Canada and the Bakken region of Montana and North Dakota. This means an additional $3.5 billion to U.S. GDP. This also means increased safety for the industry, as pipelines are by far the safest mode of transportation for crude oil and natural gas.

At the close of the Department of State's comment period for this project, the federal government will have spent nearly 2,000 days evaluating the potential impact of building the Keystone XL Pipeline. Numerous exhaustive environmental reviews have determined that this project poses a minimal environmental threat. In fact, these same reports have actually determined that failure to build the pipeline will result in significantly higher greenhouse gas emissions.

The House of Representatives has taken bipartisan actions to approve this project, most recently in May of 2013 with the passage of H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act. Additionally, a bipartisan majority in the U.S. Senate has voted favorably for action on the Keystone XL Pipeline. Most importantly, recent polling indicates that close to sixty percent of the American people want completion of the northern leg of the pipeline.

In light of this project's impact on energy security, job creation, and environmental protections, the Keystone XL Pipeline is undeniably in the national interest to complete. There can be no further delay. We urge the Department of State and President Obama to provide timely approval for this project and thank you in advance for your attention to our comments.

Should the need arise, please feel free to contact our offices regarding this project and its impact on Indiana.

Sincerely,

Congressman Marlin Stutzman
Congresswoman Susan Brooks
Congressman Larry Bucshon
Congressman Luke Messer
Congressman Todd Rokita
Congresswoman Jackie Walorski
Congressman Todd Young