Montana's senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus today doubled down his efforts to get the Keystone XL pipeline built following Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman's approval of the route through Nebraska Tuesday.
Baucus joined North Dakota Senator John Hoeven to lead a majority of Senators in urging the President to finally approve the pipeline. Baucus' letter to the President garnered the signatures of 53 Senators in one day. And Baucus ratcheted up the pressure on the White House with a bipartisan press conference.
Baucus also met one-on-one today with Secretary of State nominee John Kerry, where he made clear Keystone is a top priority for Montana.
"This is about one simple thing: jobs," Baucus told a crowd of fellow Senators, press and onlookers during today's press conference. "Thousands of jobs to build the pipeline; thousands of jobs from manufacturing; and many more jobs supported by carrying Bakken oil from Montana and North Dakota across the country. America can't afford to wait for these jobs any longer. We've done more than four years of careful studying and planning. We've addressed safety concerns. No more excuses; it's time to put Montanans to work building the Keystone pipeline."
Baucus invited Kerry to visit Montana and hear more from Montanans on the significance of Keystone XL as an economic driver in the state. Kerry's nomination to lead the U.S. State Department is subject to Senate confirmation. The Department of State holds jurisdiction over the Keystone Pipeline project and the next Secretary of State will make a recommendation to the President ahead of his final decision on whether to approve the pipeline permit.
On Tuesday, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman approved the proposed new pipeline route through Nebraska to avoid the environmentally-sensitive Sand Hills region. The next step will be for the State Department to complete the environmental impact statement, followed by a decision by the Secretary of State whether to recommend approval to the President and finally a decision from the President.
Late last year, Baucus urged the State Department to expedite the process by only performing an environmental impact statement on the new portion or the route through Nebraska and not redoing work that has already been completed. He reiterated that call again to Kerry today.