Keystone XL Pipeline Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. COONS. Mr. President, we need to take steps now to prepare for
the coming impact of climate change on our Nation's infrastructure.

The Federal Government plays a crucial role in protecting our
infrastructure and partnering with State and Federal, tribal, and local
governments to prepare.

The Federal Government, including our Pentagon and the highway
administration, is already planning and preparing for these impacts.
Many States are as well. From my home State of Delaware to Alaska to
Florida, all are already planning responsibly for the future impacts of
climate change. Preparing now is only responsible, because every dollar
invested in planning and preparing is projected to save us up to $4 in
future disaster relief.

This amendment is supported by a number of organizations--the
American Society of Civil Engineers, the National Wildlife Federation,
the Union of Concerned Scientists, and others.

This amendment does not speak to the human role in climate change or
emissions. It simply acknowledges that climate change is having an
impact on our infrastructure and suggests that planning is responsible.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

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