Keystone XL Approval Bill Passes U.S. House of Representatives

Press Release

Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill supported by Congressman Kevin Cramer to authorize the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. H.R. 5682 passed on a bipartisan majority with 221 Republicans and 31 Democrats voting in favor. The legislation is identical to Senator John Hoeven's legislation introduced in May of this year, however, until now, the Senate majority has not allowed a vote on the bill.

Yesterday, House leadership called on Congressman Cramer to speak on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in support of the legislation. The Senate is expected to hold its vote on Senator Hoeven's identical version of the bill next Tuesday.

"Due to the President's objection, at the insistence of Hollywood, liberals, donors, or those who don't care, a critical piece of North America's energy security puzzle languishes on a desk in the Oval Office while thousands of unemployed workers collect government benefits instead of a paycheck," Cramer said.

With a total capacity of 830,000 barrels per day, the pipeline will accept 100,000 barrels per day of Bakken crude oil and provide approximately 40,000 jobs. The project has now waited 2,247 days for its required Presidential Permit. The legislation passed today authorizes the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of the Keystone XL pipeline, deeming the Secretary of State's January 2014 Final Supplemental Environmental Impact sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and all other federal agency consultation or review. In addition, the bill:

Allows for any previous Federal permit or authorization issued for the pipeline and cross-border facilities to remain in effect;
Provides any Federal legal challenge to solely be subject to review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia; and
Leaves unaltered any Federal, State or local process that is necessary to secure access from an owner of private property to construct the pipeline and cross-border facilities.
Today's legislation marks the second time Congressman Cramer has voted to approve the Keystone XL. On May 22, 2013, Cramer voted with 240 bipartisan Members of the House in approving H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act, which also would have authorized approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.

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