Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding the Dakota Access Pipeline protests near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota:
"As tensions continue to rise over the Dakota Access Pipeline, I urge law enforcement personnel to de-escalate the situation and respect the right of Native American tribe members and other citizens to engage in peaceful protest. Members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe have raised serious questions about the construction of the pipeline so close to their sacred sites and those questions must be fully answered before the project proceeds any further.
"Each and every citizen in this nation is entitled to clean water and air, and petitions to the government seeking to protect the integrity of our environment must be given a fair and open hearing. Native American tribes and communities have a particular legacy of stewardship when it comes to our natural resources and their voices deserve to be heard and respected on a project that carries such consequence."