Opening Remarks by Ranking Member Rush at Full Committee Markup of HR 1938 and HR 2054 re Keystone XL Pipeline

CONTACT: Renee Ferguson
(773) 224-6500 ofc.; (202) 674-0891 mobile
Renee.Ferguson@mail.house.gov
- or -
Sharon Jenkins
(202) 225-4372 ofc.; (202) 431-8191 mobile
Sharon.Jenkins@mail.house.gov

WASHINGTON –– “Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  Today we are marking up the “North American Made Energy Security Act,” or the TransCanada bill, which would short circuit the permitting process and require the Secretary of Energy to coordinate all of the federal agencies in charge of issuing a final decision on the Keystone XL pipeline by an arbitrary timeline.

“I would like to inform the Committee that I intend to re-introduce my toxics chemicals reform bill in the very near future. That bill would also be directed to the Environment and Economy subcommittee for consideration.

“Americans want, need, and demand to know what chemicals are in their consumer products, their food and drink, their homes, and their surrounding communities. My bill will attempt to provide clearer answers to the American consumer. And, it will clearly define the scope of the EPA’s authority, just as it did in the 111th Congress, to ensure that all chemical substances are properly reviewed to ensure public health and human safety. That authority will keep American families healthier, just as the Clean Air Act gave the EPA authority––and the Supreme Court reaffirmed unanimously this week––to regulate air pollutants.

“Mr. Chairman, only a week ago in a hearing on pipeline safety in the Energy and Power subcommittee the nation’s foremost experts on this subject testified that, currently, we do not have a comprehensive plan for transporting tar sands through the heart of our country.  And, further, we do not even know if this substance provides a greater risk than other types of crude oil.

“In fact, the Administrator of the Pipeline Safety and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA), as well as the Executive Director of the Pipeline Safety Trust, told the subcommittee directly that this issue has not even been studied at all.

“So today, we simply don’t know how transporting this type of bitumen could affect pipeline safety or how a spill might impact our environment.

“Yet, instead of heeding the advice of the very experts responsible for overseeing the safety of our pipelines and examining this issue more carefully before moving forward, here we are marking up a bill directing the Administration to hurry up and make a decision on the pipeline, no matter if the agencies responsible for studying this issue have completed their vital work or not.

“It appears the majority’s view is let’s move full speed ahead, and we’ll worry about safety after the fact.

“For my constituents who witnessed this same type of reckless behavior on the part of BP executives leading up to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill last spring, this bill is incomprehensible, especially coming from representatives of the people.

“We simply do not have a plan, or, some would say, a clue.  It would be reckless indeed for Congress to attempt to rush approval for this pipeline, as this bill clearly does, without having first studied the safety precautions associated with moving forward.

“I urge all of my colleagues to support the amendment I will offer and with that I yield back my time.”

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NOTE:  You may view today's markup proceeding in its entirety, including the webcast, by visiting the Democratic Site of the Energy and Commerce Committee by clicking here:  Full Committee Markup on “H.R. 1938 and the Semi Annual Committee Activity Report"