You guys warned me. Senator #ClaireMcCaskill does want to build a dirty pipeline #XLPipeline #TarSands . December 5, 2014 Dear Mr. Scott, Thank you for contacting me regarding domestic energy production and energy independence, including the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. As a supporter of construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond to your views about these important issues. I am a cosponsor of and have voted for S.2280, legislation introduced by Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota that would immediately approve the pipeline and allow construction to begin. Although recent efforts in the Senate to pass this legislation and authorize the Keystone pipeline have failed to garner the 60 votes required for passage, I will continue working with my colleagues to find common ground to move this project forward. This process has been exhaustive in its time, breadth, and scope. It has already taken much longer than is necessary, and I have been disappointed to see the State Department announce numerous delays in making a final decision on its approval. In fact, I joined eleven of my Senate colleagues in April 2014, in calling on President Obama to implement an explicit timeline for approval of the Keystone pipeline. You may be interested to know that I voted in support of several amendments that would have authorized construction of the pipeline, but that would also have responsibly addressed environmental concerns by rerouting a section of the pipeline around an environmentally sensitive region of Nebraska. I support construction of this pipeline because of the economic and security benefits it will provide to our nation. By increasing our capacity to import oil from Canada, one of our most reliable trading partners, the pipeline will improve U.S. energy security and prevent U.S. resources from being sent to oil-producing nations overseas who are often hostile to U.S. interests. Authorization of the pipeline will also result in the creation of several thousand short-term construction jobs and a number of permanent jobs for ongoing maintenance of the pipeline. This is not a question of whether or not the oil is produced, but of how it gets to market. You may also be interested to know that I am a strong supporter of alternative fuels such as corn-based ethanol and biodiesel. The United States produced over 14 billion gallons of ethanol in 2011, displacing more than 6% of our gasoline usage. This is equivalent to more than half of our total imports last year from Saudi Arabia and nearly two-thirds of our total imports from Venezuela, the second and fourth largest sources of U.S. oil imports in 2011, respectively. In 2012, the U.S. was able to produce 13.30 billion gallons. Ethanol production also creates new job opportunities in rural areas. As a leading corn-producing state, Missouri is in a unique position to contribute to, and benefit from, ethanol production. By approving the Keystone XL pipeline, continuing to increase U.S. oil production, and maintaining our investment in biofuels, we can boost U.S. energy security and ensure that more of the money we spend on fuel stays here at home, boosting our economy and creating jobs. Again, thank you for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance to you on this or any other issue. Sincerely, Claire McCaskill United States Senator P.S. If you would like more information about resources that can help Missourians, or what I am doing in the Senate on your behalf, please sign up for my email newsletter at mccaskill.senate.gov.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 01:49:41 +0000