WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today helped introduce legislation to fully approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
Heitkamp played a key role in crafting the legislation and building strong support for it. Last month, she recruited 10 other Democratic Senators to join her efforts to put pressure on the President to make a decision on the pipeline. She then worked hard to get all of those Senators to sign onto today’s bill, which is the largest number of Democrats to sign onto legislation supporting full approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.
“We continue to hear delay, delay, delay from the Administration about the Keystone XL pipeline. I’m beyond sick of it,” said Heitkamp. “We have strong bipartisan support in the Senate for this project – and I’m proud to have recruited support from 10 other Democrats last month. Now, all of those Democrats also signed onto this bill that we crafted to fully approve the construction of the Keystone pipeline. If the Administration isn’t going to make a decision on this project after more than five years, then we’ll make it for them. End of story.”
Heitkamp has long been a fierce advocate for the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. She has repeatedly taken action to move the project forward, including:
- April 10, 2014 – Recruits 10 Democratic Senators to Join Her Call for President to Make Decision on Keystone XL Pipeline
- February 4, 2014 – Brought together bipartisan, bicameral group of legislators and labor, business and national security leaders to call for approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline
- November 18, 2013 – Hosting Alberta Premier Alison Redford in Washington, D.C. to discuss the Keystone XL project and continue efforts to forge a strong energy partnership between the two countries.
- September 13, 2013 – Writing to the President on the 5-year anniversary of the application, highlighting her trip to Canada to see the oil sands first hand.
- August 20, 2013 – Traveling to Canada to discuss the project and see the oil sands firsthand and meet with Alberta Premier Alison Redford.
- July 23, 2013 – Addressing national opinion leaders and made the case for Administration approval of the project.
- June 25, 2013 – Working together with the North Dakota Congressional Delegation to lay out the facts surrounding the project.
- March 22, 2013 – Voting in favor of the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline.
- March 15, 2013 – Working with Republican Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer to keep pressure on the State Department.
- February 22, 2013 – Urging Secretary Kerry, as soon as he took over the State Department, to make the project a top priority.
- January 23, 2013 – Calling on the President to approve the project following Nebraska’s approval of a new route.