Daines, Hoeven, Rounds applaud executive action to advance pipelines

U.S. Sens. Steve Daines (R-MT), John Hoeven (R-ND) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) commended executive action taken by President Donald Trump on Tuesday to advance construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines.

Trump invited TransCanada to reapply for a presidential permit to move forward with construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, and the president directed federal agencies to expedite project reviews.

“After years of talk and political nonsense, I couldn’t be more thrilled that President Trump has heeded my call to move forward construction of this project,” Daines said.

In a letter sent in December, Daines urged Trump to take immediate action on the Keystone XL pipeline, which would travel approximately 284 miles across eastern Montana to South Dakota. The pipeline would create an estimated 800 jobs and generate an estimated $80 million in property tax revenues for Montana.

Legislation introduced by Hoeven in the 114th Congress, S. 1, to approve the Keystone XL pipeline on constitutional grounds cleared the Senate and the House with bipartisan support.

“It was then vetoed by President Obama after he delayed the project on various grounds for more than seven years,” Hoeven said. “The Keystone XL Pipeline project has already been thoroughly reviewed and has earned the support of a majority of the American people. They understand that to keep our nation strong and make our economy vibrant again, we need access to affordable oil and gas domestically produced by the U.S. and our closest friend and ally Canada.”

Trump’s executive actions on Tuesday, Hoeven said, signals that the nation will begin to build the kind of energy infrastructure that is needed both now and in the future.

“This project is not only about energy, but also about jobs, economic growth and making America stronger and safer by reducing our dependence on Middle Eastern oil,” Hoeven concluded.

Trump understands that pipelines are an effective and efficient means of transporting natural resources and meeting the country’s energy needs, Rounds said.

“Good domestic energy policies include an ‘all of the above’ approach that will strengthen our economy, create jobs and enhance U.S. energy independence,” Rounds added. “As the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines move forward, I will continue to work with those involved to address their concerns.”