"The project will reduce the United States' reliance on higher-priced foreign oil and replace it with stable, secure supplies from both Canada and the U.S. It will create high-paying American jobs, inject billions of dollars into the U.S. economy, and pay millions in taxes for decades to come. This project is needed, the benefits are clear, and time is of the essence to move forward," Alex Pourbaix told a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Wednesday.
Because the pipeline crosses the U.S.-Canada border, the project requires U.S. government permission. Since 2008, when TransCanada first applied for a presidential permit, the State Department has reviewed and re-reviewed all aspects of the pipeline. But President Obama -- apparently not wanting to anger his environmentalist supporters before the election -- denied the permit last year. Seizing on a deadline imposed by Republicans, the Obama administration said it needed more time to determine if the project was in the national interest.
TransCanada has re-filed its application for the northern leg of the pipeline, but as Pourbaix told the committee on Wednesday, "it appears that a decision on the pending Presidential Permit application is many more months down the road." Pourbaix praised Republican legislation that would remove the requirement for a presidential permit and clear the way for construction to begin, and he thanked the committee for holding a hearing "which serves to call attention to the need for a prompt decision on this application..."
In addition to energy security, Pourbaix listed the "significant economic benefits" the pipeline would bring to the United States, as follows:
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