WASHINGTON D.C. – Senator Cory Gardner voted Thursday to advance a bipartisan bill in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to authorize the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
STORY: Gardner sworn in, Boehner re-elected Speaker as new Congress convenes
“Unfortunately, and despite broad bipartisan support in favor of authorizing the pipeline, the Keystone XL pipeline has been delayed over and over again. It’s long past time that construction on this important energy project was started, and I’m proud to make authorizing this project one of my first actions as a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee,” Gardner said.
The Keystone XL pipeline would be paid for by the private sector, create thousands of jobs in the United States, and increase domestic energy security, according to a statement from the Senate office.
The application was first submitted in September 2008, which was more than six years ago, according to Senator spokesperson Alex Siciliano.
The State Department’s final supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, which was last updated in June of 2014, states the pipeline will have a minimal impact on our environment, Siciliano said.