U.S. Reps. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), and Tom Rice (R-SC) joined more than 100 other Republicans in supporting the newly introduced Keystone XL Pipeline Construction and Jobs Preservation Act.
If enacted, H.R. 684 would authorize the pipeline project to go forward following the signing of executive orders by President Joe Biden to revoke the project’s construction and operations permit.
“President Biden’s decision to revoke the Keystone XL Pipeline permit is an attack on the way of life for thousands of people who rely on energy production to feed their families,” said Rep. Armstrong, who on Feb. 2 sponsored H.R. 684, which currently has 113 GOP cosponsors. “We must do everything we can to see this terrible decision reversed and fight for energy policies that help move North Dakota and our nation forward.”
H.R. 684 would assert that a Presidential Permit is not required for the operation of the Keystone XL Pipeline, stating that “TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P., may construct, connect, operate, and maintain the pipeline facilities at the international border of the United States and Canada at Phillips County, Montana, for the import of oil from Canada to the United States,” according to the text of the bill.
“Energy made and moved in America creates jobs, lowers the cost of gas and electricity for low-income Americans, and makes America more competitive on the world stage,” Rep. Rice said. “During a time of economic recovery, destroying more than 11,000 potential jobs and increasing our reliance on other countries is a monumental mistake. We cannot let the Biden administration destroy the livelihoods of hard-working Americans.”
Rep. McMorris Rodgers also pointed out that because millions of Americans continue to face economic hardships due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, “the last thing this country needs are unilateral mandates and directives that eliminate jobs in the name of politics.”
The congresswoman called President Biden’s decision to revoke the Keystone XL pipeline permit a “pie-in-the-sky approach,” and called for “realistic, all-of-the-above energy solutions that solve the same problems without hampering our economy and energy independence.”
Rep. Johnson agreed and noted that the Keystone XL pipeline project for years has played by the rules, met its burden of proof, and earned many local, state and federal permits. “The rule of law shouldn’t be destroyed with the swipe of the president’s pen,” he said, adding that “Rep. Armstrong’s bill reforms this system and would save American jobs along the way.”