WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) issued the following statement on the U.S. Senate vote on construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline:

“This vote to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline should have happened years ago, and while I am disappointed it failed by a single vote in the Democrat-led Senate, it is only a matter of time before it is passed in the next Congress by the new Republican majority and sent to President Obama’s desk. At that time, the President will finally be forced to decide whether increases in energy security and American jobs trump special interest politics.

“There is overwhelming support for construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline across the country because Americans understand the importance of this shovel-ready project to job creation and increasing the supply of North American energy. That is why the House has overwhelmingly approved legislation to authorize construction nine times. I look forward to the Senate joining the House in approving the Keystone XL Pipeline in the very near future. This is merely the first of many issues to finally receive the Senate’s attention after years of being denied votes.” 

The Keystone XL Pipeline is an additional phase to the original Keystone Pipeline that currently moves crude oil from Steele City, Nebraska, through Kansas to the processing facility in Cushing, Oklahoma. Portions of the Keystone XL Pipeline have already been built and are in operation, including a pipeline linking Cushing, Oklahoma, to Port Arthur, Texas. The newest addition voted on today would link the existing Keystone infrastructure to the oil-rich Bakken granting greater accessibility to domestic natural resources. Unfortunately, the White House has refused to approve the permit application for the remaining 1,200 miles of pipeline to be built despite President Obama’s own State Department’s view that this project can move forward. The Administration’s delays have prevented the creation of new well-paying jobs and economic growth for Americans.

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