MT politicians respond to Keystone XL Pipeline project
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
News from Senator Daines, Representative Rosendale and Senator Tester
MONTANA — Three Montana law makers responded to the Keystone XL pipeline project with a unified stance across party lines.
U.S. Senator Steve Daines issued the following statement after the company backing the Keystone XL pipeline was forced to officially pull the plug on the project.
Daines stressed this is a direct result from President Biden nixing the project on day one of taking office, when he rescinded the permit needed to continue cross border construction.
“This is devastating news for our economy, jobs, environment and national security — and its entirely President Biden’s fault. It’s beyond clear that President Biden is beholden to extreme environmentalists, and Montanans and the American people are bearing the burden. While President Biden killed the American Keystone XL pipeline, he continues to support the Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Biden would rather support Russian workers and jobs than Americans. Montanans and the American people are disappointed,” Daines said.
Following news that TC Energy is terminating the Keystone XL pipeline project, U.S. Senator Jon Tester released the following statement:
“I am bitterly disappointed to learn that construction of the Keystone XL pipeline will no longer be moving forward. I supported this project for years because of the good-paying jobs and tax revenue it would have created for the folks who live and work in Montana. It’s frustrating that national politics killed a project that would have yielded big benefits for our state, but I am going to keep fighting to create jobs in rural Montana, ensure our energy independence, and get our state’s economy firing on all cylinders.”
Tester fought to build the Keystone XL pipeline and bring its job and tax benefits to Eastern Montana for more than a decade. He urged the Biden Administration to reverse its decision to cancel the permit; and come back to the table to sit down with stakeholders to chart a path forward on the job-creating project together, and he cosponsored bipartisan legislation to override President Biden’s decision to cancel the Keystone XL permit and allow the project the move forward.
Tester also broke with his party to approve the pipeline’s construction in 2015, and when former President Obama vetoed the bill, Tester voted to override the veto.
On the Closure of the Keystone XL Pipeline, Rep. Rosendale said, “President Biden owes Montanans an explanation as to why he decided to pull the Keystone XL Pipeline permit. This killed a project that was going to be critical to Montana. The administration has reversed over a decade of planning for our local governments, cut funding for our school systems, and sacrificed the communities that were dependent on revenue from this project to get through the pandemic. We are already seeing the price of Biden’s war on energy independence, and I fear its impact will only get worse,” Representative Rosendale said.
