Capitol Words a project of the Sunlight Foundation

Rep. Gregg Harper

Madam Speaker, I am deeply disappointed by President Obama's decision to deny TransCanada's application to build the Keystone XL pipeline. I know that many of my colleagues in the House, Members of the Senate, and citizens across this country share my disappointment and near disbelief. I say ``near'' disbelief rather than ``complete'' because while an approval of the application made sense to so many, I had a feeling that the President would continue down a path of making political decisions instead of decisions based on merit and what is best for our country, much like the knee-jerk reaction and decision to shut down drilling in the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon explosion on April 20, 2010.

Instead of shutting down the negligent parties involved in the explosion, the President shut down an entire industry for 6 months, and then it took almost another 6 months before the first permit was issued--almost a 1-year delay that cost thousands of families their jobs. While the President may talk about energy independence, I question whether he understands the role that oil plays in our economy and will continue to play in our Nation's energy portfolio. Even worse would be if he does understand and is just making political decisions.

The application for Keystone XL has been pending for over 3 years; and even though history shows that these types of applications generally take 18 months to approve, the President said that a February 21, 2012, deadline imposed by Congress did not give him enough time to properly review the application. The Keystone XL application was pending for twice as long as a normal application. The President's argument about not having enough time to make a decision to approve the project is weak, at best. The application was filed more than 3 years ago, and a final decision on whether to let the pipeline go forward was long, long overdue.

Unfortunately, I believe the wrong decision has been made. And if he didn't want to approve it for environmental reasons, I wonder if thought was given to the fact that China wants the oil if the United States does not get it, and that means putting the oil on tankers, which we know would have a much more negative impact on the environment than pipelines.

Mr. Speaker, the United States needs the XL Keystone pipeline. In his first term in office, the President has loosely talked about the need for energy independence. Keystone XL could help provide the United States with the certainty of almost a million barrels of oil a day, and that oil comes from our friend and largest trading partner, Canada, not the Middle East. At a time when the price at the pump continues to fluctuate--in part due to uncertainty in the Middle East--I cannot understand how the President justified denying the transport of friendly Canadian oil to our gulf coast refineries.

When the President took office in January 2009, the average cost of a gallon of gas was $1.83. On January 23, 2012, AAA reports that the current average is $3.83 per gallon. The record for the highest annual average price for a gallon of gasoline ever in our Nation's history was set in 2011. A major factor in recent high prices is continued political tension in the Middle East and North Africa. These events have threatened or disrupted huge quantities of oil, causing great fear among investors. It is beyond evident that America needs relief.

The President has struggled with turning the economy around since taking office 3 years ago, and his speeches often center on the subject of jobs. Mr. Speaker, I hope that the President realizes that his denial of the Keystone XL application is costing our country tens of thousands of jobs. An analysis by the Perryman Group, an economic consultant in Texas, has demonstrated the tremendous job-creating potential of this project. It is the reason that six major labor unions have signed project labor agreements to construct the pipeline. These are good-paying American jobs that union members are eager to fill. However, instead of issuing the necessary permits to begin construction of the pipeline and put Americans to work, the administration drags its feet for over 3 years and at the end of that time denied an estimated 120,000 Americans jobs to provide a way to support their families.

Pro-business groups like Americans for Prosperity and the Chamber of Commerce support Keystone XL as a way to give a much-needed boost to the economy. Pro-labor groups support Keystone XL because they know it will create jobs. Americans across the country asked President Obama to approve this project. They realized its importance but were clearly ignored.

The Keystone XL pipeline is just one example of how House Republicans have been working to promote job creation without the need for ``stimulus'' money. While the President decided to pander to his extreme environmentalist supporters in a campaign year instead of keeping the best interests of the American people at heart, I do not believe that this battle is over.

Our country needs the pipeline. We need these jobs. We need cheaper gas at the pumps, and I'm committed to working towards alternative ways to get it back.