Jeff Denham

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, the American people have had 5 years of studies, the longest studies that have happened on any pipeline in our Nation's history. What the American public are waiting for are the jobs that go with this. U.S. pipeline operators have safely transported oil sands crude for over 40 years. This is not a new concept. The 2011 Pipeline Safety Act further strengthens safety by increasing penalties for violations, authorizing additional safety inspectors, and granting new authorities to enforce the oil spill response plan. That was a bipartisan bill that we passed out of here just last session. TransCanada has agreed to 57 PHMSA conditions on the pipeline's construction and operation, which is expected to make it one of the safest ever constructed. I urge a ``no'' vote. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM. These issues have already been the subject of the study by the State Department. The environmental review process, which included four different Environmental Impact Statements, analyzed oil spills of varying size, the types of releases, and the impacts of oil spills. Additional studies would just waste taxpayer dollars. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, this amendment seeks to undermine an important streamlining provision in the bill that sets firm deadlines for filing claims. In order to cause maximum delays, opponents of projects often wait until the final possible day to file claims. Setting firm reasonable deadlines has no impact on legal rights. This bill is limited in the types of claims that receive the expedited review to just three: validity of final orders, constitutionality of the act, and adequacy of the Environmental Impact Statement. These claims must be filed within 60 days of the final order or action giving rise to that claim. No other claim is affected by the 60- day filing deadline. Because of the limitations on types of claims covered by the deadline, 2 months is more than ample time to file with the D.C. circuit. Extending to a new year is simply one more delay tactic. With that, I urge a ``no'' vote and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM. I reserve the balance of my time for my personal close.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. DENHAM. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster).

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM. This amendment would further delay the Keystone XL pipeline and create additional uncertainty for the project. This amendment would basically gut the bill by allowing the construction but not the operation of the pipeline. It makes absolutely no sense for the Federal Government to permit a project to be constructed but not operated. This would be like getting a building permit to construct a house but not being able to certify the occupancy to actually live in the house. This pipeline will be subject to continued oversight by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Corps, and other regulators to ensure that the operators are complying with the project's permit requirements. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, I urge a ``no'' vote and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM. This amendment guts the bill by eliminating the section that, one, declares that no Presidential permit is needed for TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline; and, two, deems the lengthy environmental reviews already completed as satisfying the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act. Given that this project has already had 5 years of studying, section 3 is necessary to ensure the Keystone XL project is done in a timely manner, and we need these American jobs. I yield the balance of the time to the chairman of the full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster).

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry).

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition to the amendment

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time. A lot has been talked about here, but let me get back to the facts. This legislation, if passed, would be passed in the same way as in 2004 when the Alaskan natural gas pipeline was passed by the entire body on a voice vote. Members who are complaining about this bill voted for that very same type of legislation. The thing that gets talked about is the pipeline was deemed. That legislation was deemed. The pipeline was deemed to be in the national interest. This is in our national interest--energy independence, American jobs. There is a reason to expedite this, let alone waiting 5 years. We can't afford to wait another 5 years to have an expedited NEPA process like it was that the gentleman had supported in the past. It has been talked about that this is a Republican bill; it's a Republican end-around. Yet the AFL-CIO is supporting the bill; the National Brotherhood of Teamsters; the International Union of Operating Engineers; the National Electronic Contractors Association; as well as the U.S. Chamber and National Taxpayers Union. This is about American jobs. Whether you are union or nonunion, whether you're a member of the Chamber of Commerce or not, this is about getting people back to work and being energy independent. This is a bipartisan bill that simply cuts through the very red tape that the President continues to complain about and helps this Nation realize the benefits of this project, the energy independence of our Nation. Mr. Chairman, I encourage all Members to support this bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe).

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, how much time is remaining?

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin).

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chairman, I wish to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Rice).

Mr. DENHAM. There is a lot of confusion out there, obviously, on this very important issue. Some would say, Canada oil? We currently bring 590,000 barrels per day from Canada through the current Keystone pipeline. Keystone XL just gives us an opportunity to have another 830,000 barrels. Some would say, Why are you going to do this as this has never been done before? But my colleague has already voted for a piece of legislation like this dealing with the Alaskan pipeline in which they expedited the NEPA process, and it was affirmed by a voice vote of the entire House. When the project is right to get it done, it's right. These are American jobs that we need. Mr. Chairman, I wish to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Radel).