The world is waiting to see if the United States will lead as a global energy superpower, Sen. Lisa Murkowski said in
Saturday's GOP address, and part of that includes the president and Congress willing to approve the Keystone XL pipeline project at last.
"After more than 2,300 days of presidential indecision, it’s important for us to act," said the Alaska Republican, who is chairwoman of the Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
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"The world is watching to see whether the United States is willing to lead as a global energy superpower that respects its neighbors, trades with its allies, and builds needed infrastructure. I believe we are ready for that role — and our leadership can start with the approval of Keystone XL"
President Barack Obama called on Congress to pass an infrastructure bill to create jobs, said Murkowski. The now-GOP-controlled Senate has been working on a bipartisan bill for the Keystone XL pipeline, she noted.
But Obama has threatened to
veto legislation on the pipeline. Earlier this month White House spokesman Eric Schultz said in a statement that Obama still plans to veto the bill if it reaches his desk, as "we are going to let that process play out."
The pipeline, though, is an "important infrastructure project will support thousands of jobs," Murkowski said Saturday. "It would carry both American and Canadian oil, in the cleanest and safest way, and help keep energy affordable for American families."
Republicans are taking strides toward making Congress work again, said Murkowski, and considering legislation from both sides of the aisle.
"More amendments were voted on in the Senate just this past week, than were voted on during all of 2014," she said, pointing out that the approach to the energy bill allows members from both parties and all states to have an input.
"We are focusing on energy because it is vital to our prosperity, and a strategic asset that we can use to assist our allies and trading partners," Murkowski said. " It is in our interest to continue making our energy abundant, affordable, clean, diverse, and secure."
As committee chairwoman, Murkowski vowed she will do her best to make sure the Senate approves broad energy legislation this year, which would be the first time since 2007.
"That was a time of scarcity, but America is now producing more energy than ever before," she said. "We’ve seen firsthand that American supply matters to global prices, and the only question now is whether we’re going to take the steps necessary to keep energy affordable."
She said part of that would be to look to her home state, where "we have tremendous amounts of oil just waiting to be produced," both offshore and in the state's National Petroleum Reserve.
Further, she said, opening just a fraction of the non-wilderness part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge could bring economic benefits.
"Some may consider this controversial, but it really is not," she insisted. "Even the head of the Alaska Democratic Party wrote a piece this week, urged that it be opened. It’s time we embrace the opportunities before us."
Overall, Senate Republicans hope Obama will be part of their efforts, starting by approving the Keystone XL pipeline, said Murkowski.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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