The Honorable Harry Reid
Majority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable John Boehner
Speaker
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Minority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Minority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Leader Reid, Speaker Boehner, Senator McConnell and Representative Pelosi:
Re: Business Roundtable CEOs Urge Approval of Keystone XL
Secure, reliable energy is vital to our nation’s economic growth.
The CEO members of the Business Roundtable Executive Committee met in Washington, DC on March 7 and expressed strong support for the Keystone XL pipeline extension.
This important expansion of U.S.-Canadian energy infrastructure would enhance U.S. energy security. It would directly create 20,000 new jobs in the near term. And by aiding in the responsible development of Canadian oil sands, Keystone XL could contribute to the creation of an additional 500,000 U.S. jobs by 2035.
The state-of-the-art pipeline is designed to bring an additional 830,000 barrels of oil per day to America’s world-class refineries to become fuel, advanced plastics, and other high-value products that increase trade and opportunity in America.
The State Department has already conducted a careful, three-year review of the environmental impact of this project. It found that Keystone XL would pose no undue risks to people or the environment. Now that TransCanada has announced it will resubmit its application, the Administration should complete its assessment quickly so that construction of this vital energy project can begin immediately.
Governors along the pipeline’s route support Keystone XL.
Major labor unions have endorsed this job-creating opportunity.
A bipartisan majority of U.S. Senators recently voted to immediately approve the project. And we at Business Roundtable are proud to lend our voice and support to this significant new energy infrastructure project for America. Creating jobs, driving economic growth and boosting U.S. energy security should be an easy decision for the Administration and Congress.
Business Roundtable urges prompt approval of the Keystone XL project.
Sincerely,
John Engler
JE/rr
C: Members of the 112th Congress