U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp issued the following statement after President Trump announced an executive order approving the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
“Building out our country’s energy infrastructure is a key component of achieving an all-of-the-above North American energy strategy and projects that support our energy, economic, and national security. Today, we’re taking a needed step toward that goal as President Trump signaled a path forward for the potential construction of the Keystone XL pipeline,” said Heitkamp. “After nearly a decade of delays by the previous Administration that culminated in a decision based on politics – not the facts – prioritizing commonsense infrastructure projects like Keystone XL is a positive sign of our country’s renewed commitment to working with Canada toward pragmatic energy solutions that benefit both of our countries. A true-all-of-the-above energy strategy also means supporting projects that advance renewable energy production, which should also be part of any larger energy strategy for the country. Just as I’ve worked for years to build consensus around and support for this project, I’ll keep fighting for policies and projects that can strengthen North American energy security and independence.”
Heitkamp has a history of supporting projects to diversify North America’s energy infrastructure, including through the Keystone XL pipeline’s construction. Since arriving in the U.S. Senate, Heitkamp has been working across the aisle to help move the project forward – building essential Democratic support for a bipartisan Senate bill to approve the Keystone pipeline. In addition to calling for bipartisan support for the bill in November 2014, Heitkamp recruited 10 other Democratic senators in April 2014 – key support that was vital for the bill’s passage in the Senate – to join her efforts to put pressure on the president to make a decision on the pipeline.
Examples of Heitkamp’s support for the Keystone XL pipeline:
- November 6, 2015 – Heitkamp expressed disappointment in the president’s decision to deny a permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline – essentially blocking the project.
- November 2, 2015 – Heitkamp expressed disappointment in the over-politicization of a basic infrastructure expansion project that resulted, after more than seven years of delay, in TransCanada suspending its permit request to build the Keystone XL pipeline.
- March 4, 2015 – Heitkamp expressed disappointment following the failure of the Senate to gather a sufficient number of votes to override President Obama’s veto of the Senate and House-passed bill to approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
- February 24, 2015 – Expressed disappointment in President Obama’s veto of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives-passed bill to prove the Keystone XL pipeline.
- February 11, 2015 – Welcomed the approval of the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline in the U.S. House of Representatives.
- January 29, 2015 – Voted to approve the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline in the U.S. Senate.
- January 26, 2015 – Voted to move Keystone XL pipeline approval forward.
- January 22, 2015 – Introduced five common-sense, workable energy solutions as amendments to the bill to approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline that would have strengthened the nation’s commitment to a path forward for coal energy, increased certainty for wind energy workers, cut bureaucratic red-tape for Native tribes seeking to drill oil on their reservations, and improved rail and pipeline oil transportation safety as well as resources and tools for first responders.
- January 7, 2015 – Spoke on the Senate floor and urged her colleagues to support legislation that would approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
- November 18, 2014 – Voted for legislation to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, but the legislation did not receive enough votes in the Senate.
- May 1, 2014 – Helped introduce legislation to fully approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
- April 10, 2014 – Recruited 10 Democratic Senators to join her call for President to make a decision on Keystone XL pipeline.
- February 4, 2014 – Brought together bipartisan, bicameral group of legislators and labor, business and national security leaders to call for approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.
- September 13, 2013 – Wrote to the President on the five year anniversary of the application, highlighting her trip to Canada to see the oil sands first hand.
- August 20, 2013 – Traveled to Canada to discuss the project and see the oil sands firsthand.
- July 23, 2013 – Addressed national opinion leaders and made the case for Administration approval of the project.
- June 25, 2013 – Worked together with the North Dakota Congressional delegation to lay out the facts surrounding the project.
- March 22, 2013 – Voted in favor of the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
- March 15, 2013 – Worked with Republican Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer to keep pressure on the State Department.
- February 22, 2013 – Urged U.S. State Department Secretary John Kerry, as soon as he took over the State Department, to make the project a top priority.
- January 23, 2013 – Called on the President to approve the project following Nebraska’s approval of a new route.
Senator Heitkamp’s statement on the Dakota Access Pipeline
“Today’s executive order hopefully provides a step forward that is needed for those impacted by the long delays around the Dakota Access pipeline,” said Heitkamp. “For too long, inaction or indecision paved the way even after the courts already stated twice that the Corps followed the required process in considering the permit. Safety for everyone involved – law enforcement officers, residents, landowners, tribal members, and protesters — continues to remain my top priority. Just as Chairman Archambault, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council, and Governor Burgum have said, protesters must leave the camp north of the Cannonball River before potentially dangerous flooding happens this spring – and as early as March – since the camp sits in a floodplain, and failing to do so could put the safety of both protesters and law enforcement at risk.
“Everyone involved must renew their commitments to listening to each other and working together. Protesters have a right to lawfully and peacefully protest while guaranteeing the safety of law enforcement officers, residents, landowners, and tribal members in the area. Unfortunately in this case, many protesters became violent which is never acceptable. The federal government is also in the process of working on guidance to address tribal consultation required for future infrastructure projects on or near Indian land. And the federal delegation and governor are continuing to work together in a bipartisan effort to push for more federal resources for law enforcement. So far, North Dakota taxpayers have spent more than $22 million on law enforcement resources to make sure all North Dakotans are safe during the protests, and that includes having first responders spend weeks away from their families over the holidays to support the safety of our towns. The administration needs to provide those funds.”
For the past several months, Heitkamp and her staff have been meeting regularly with local law enforcement, land owners, workers, and residents about the Dakota Access pipeline protests. She has had continued conversations with the current and past administrations, Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Justice, and U.S. Department of Interior to push for a final decision on the easement going under Lake Oahe. She has also been working in a joint effort with the federal delegation and governor to push for federal funds to provide law enforcement with needed resources to support public safety during the ongoing demonstrations. In December, Heitkamp expressed her concerns after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied the easement for the Dakota Access pipeline to go under Lake Oahe.
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