Moran, Daines, Hoeven plan bill to counteract Biden’s order to halt Keystone XL Pipeline project

Following President Joe Biden’s decision to revoke the cross-border operation permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline, U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS), Steve Daines (R-MT), and John Hoeven (R-ND) plan to introduce a GOP-led bill to authorize ongoing construction of the project. 

“Canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline will cost our country thousands of jobs, raise energy prices, and make us more dependent on foreign countries to supply our energy,” Sen. Moran said. “At a time when our economy and communities are hurting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we should be focusing on sending people back to work not taking their jobs away.”

In the Jan. 20 executive order signed by President Biden, the March 2019 presidential permit was revoked for the Keystone XL Pipeline project “to construct, connect, operate, and maintain pipeline facilities at the international border of the United States and Canada.”

“The Keystone XL pipeline disserves the U.S. national interest,” according to Biden’s order. “Leaving the Keystone XL pipeline permit in place would not be consistent with my Administration’s economic and climate imperatives.”

According to the senators, the Keystone pipeline project is expected to provide roughly 11,000 direct jobs and up to 60,000 indirect and direct jobs, generate tax revenue, increase renewable-energy demand, and strengthen North American energy independence.

The project also “is the safest and most environmentally friendly way to transport oil,” Sen. Daines said. “We must do all that we can to ensure construction moves forward.”

“The moratorium placed on new federal oil, gas & coal permits harms our ability to produce energy domestically and raises prices for consumers,” Sen. Hoeven tweeted on Jan. 22. “We should be producing more energy at home instead of increasing our dependence on foreign energy sources.”

U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jim Risch (R-ID), John Barrasso (R-WY), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and Roger Marshall (R-KS) also plan to introduce the forthcoming legislation.