House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings delivered the following statement on the House floor in support of H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act.

“I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act. This important legislation would remove roadblocks to allow for the approval and construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline – a project that is vital to America’s energy future.

The Keystone XL Pipeline has been tied up in red tape by the Obama Administration for nearly five years. Just over 1,700 days ago, the application to build this important energy project was submitted to the U.S. State Department and for 1,700 days the American people have been waiting for the Obama Administration to stop leading from behind.

This bill will create tens of thousands of American jobs, lower energy prices, invest billions of dollars into our economy, and make America more energy secure. The Keystone XL Pipeline will transport over 800,000 barrels of oil per day from Alberta, Canada down to American refineries in the Gulf of Mexico. That’s half the amount that the U.S. imports from the Middle East.

This bill was approved by the Natural Resources Committee with bipartisan support. The provisions under our jurisdiction will help ensure that the construction of this pipeline takes place in a timely manner without threat of lawsuit or unnecessary delay by the Secretary of the Interior.

This important project has gone through extensive environmental reviews, including two separate Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) and over 15,000 pages of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews. President Obama’s own State Department has stated that this project will have no significant impacts on the environment. There is no credible reason for the President to continue blocking this project.

That is why this project enjoys bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate. This is not a Democrat issue or Republican issue – energy security and job creation is an American issue. This Administration is the only roadblock that’s standing in the way of American jobs, lower energy prices, and increased American energy security.

The Northern Route Approval Act makes the Keystone XL Pipeline a reality. It declares that no Presidential permit shall be required to approve this pipeline and prevents the Obama Administration from imposing further delays.

I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.”

###