Congressional support for Keystone XL has reached a majority with 55 U.S. Senators signaling their support in a letter to President Obama urging he sign off on a cross-border permit. From along the planed route of the pipeline, South Dakota U.S. Senator John Thune contends construction would boost the economy. Writing on the opinion pages of the Rapid City Journal the senator pens:
Pending before President Obama is a true economic stimulus plan. Unlike the $833 billion stimulus bill that was loaded with pet projects and wasteful government spending, this stimulus plan is privately funded and would not waste taxpayer dollars on yet another duplicative government program. Instead, this plan would bolster private sector job creation, would help secure America’s energy future, and would generate tax revenue and stimulate growth in South Dakota and throughout the country. This pending plan is the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.
In the same newspaper, South Dakota Congresswoman Kristi Noem argues:
There’s little, if anything, that should be holding the President back from authorizing the start of construction. Environmental analysts have concluded that there are few risks to adding the 1,700 mile pipeline. Even the nation’s biggest labor organization stated that the Keystone XL pipeline would allow workers from all over the United States to benefit from the project.
The U.S. Department of State is expected to issue its decision this spring.
