WASHINGTON – Congressman Jason Smith recently sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, expressing his support for the Keystone XL Pipeline and asking the secretary to move swiftly on the project’s application. It has been over five years since the backers of the Keystone XL Pipeline first submitted their application to the U.S. State Department on September 19, 2008.
Click HERE to read Smith’s letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry
In his letter, Smith outlined the economic benefits of the project, saying the Keystone project will create an estimated 42,000 construction jobs with roughly $2 billion in salaries for hardworking Americans.
“The construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline will infuse our country’s economy with the kind of infrastructure investment that creates and supports jobs. This pipeline is a $7 billion expansion that will create an estimated 42,000 construction jobs. The project will direct roughly $2 billion into the pockets of hardworking Americans who desperately need it. These dollars will potentially go to cash-strapped communities in Middle America, supporting local grocery stores, local car dealerships, local restaurants, local housing markets and the list goes on and on.”
Smith also said the Keystone project will provide a reliable source of energy in North America, instead of relying on Middle Eastern nations to meet our energy needs.
“Construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline would further enhance our nation’s energy security. Too long we have depended on foreign sources for our energy when we now have access to an abundance of energy right here in America and with our close ally Canada. However, through the overwhelming regulations that have been imposed through the EPA and other agencies, our use of these resources has been delayed. The Keystone XL Pipeline will carry nearly 830,000 barrels of North American oil per day, with nearly 25% coming from the Bakken shale region in the western states. Combining the American shale resources with what will be transported through the Keystone Pipeline will help us become less dependent on far away energy sources and get our energy more close to home.”
