Congressman Veasey Statement on Passage of Keystone XL Pipeline

Washington, D.C.—Congressman Marc Veasey, TX-33, released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 5682, the Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act, which would approve the final segment of the Keystone XL pipeline. He was joined by House Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn and fellow Texas Democrats, Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee, Al Green, Gene Green, Ruben Hinojosa (CHC Chairman), Henry Cuellar, and Filemon Vela.

"Today's approval will allow for more than 42,000 jobs to be created throughout the United States during the construction of the pipeline," said Congressman Veasey. "As our economy continues to climb out of the Great Recession, creating and sustaining good paying jobs should be our highest priority in Congress."

H.R. 5682 would allow TransCanada to complete the final portion of the Keystone XL pipeline that crosses from Alberta, Canada to Nebraska, while still giving flexibility to modify the route, based on a final determination by the Nebraska Supreme Court.

"Past legislation we've considered in the House has relied on outdated information from 2011 and did not allow flexibility for individual states to determine what is in their best interest," Congressman Veasey said. "This new bill, which mirrors a Senate bill that was passed on a bi-partisan vote out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, looks at the latest Department of State environmental impact report and gives flexibility to the state of Nebraska to determine the route within the state."

Congressman Veasey has been a staunch advocate of protecting our environment during his time in Congress and has taken numerous votes to ensure the integrity of our natural resources.

"This vote will help to provide the infrastructure that we need to safely move vital resources through North America," commented Veasey. "The Department of State report plainly states that even if this pipeline is not built, rail cars and tankers will be used to carry oil from Canada, resulting in more Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. Our priority should be to support the safest, most environmentally conscience way to transport this fuel."