U S Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrep : Vitter: Keystone XL Is Good For American Businesses

Today, Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), Chairman of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, made the following statement regarding bipartisan legislation to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, introduced by Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.). Chairman Vitter is an original co-sponsor of the legislation and also the first member of the Senate to introduce legislation to expedite the Keystone XL pipeline in 2011.

"After six years of no action from President Obama and Congressional Democrats on the Keystone XL pipeline, the new Republican majority is making sure this Congress' priorities include creating good-paying jobs and increasing our energy independence with additional infrastructure," said Vitter. "As the newly elected Chairman of the Small Business Committee, I am committed to supporting legislation that will boost economic growth and allow American small businesses - like local refineries - to flourish, and the Keystone Act will do just that."

The legislation to approve the Keystone LX pipeline has been voted out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee this week and will be considered on the Senate Floor next week. It has 60 cosponsors.

The Keystone XL pipeline is expected to carry 1,000,000 barrels of North American oil supplies per day to U.S. refineries. Its construction will create over 20,000 direct jobs and over 100,000 indirect jobs. Click here to read more.

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