Graves: Keystone project was a commitment to high-paying American jobs

(From Sixth District Congressman Sam Graves)

The Keystone XL project was about more than just a pipeline. It was a commitment to creating high-paying, American jobs, at no cost to the taxpayer. It was a way to secure a safe, reliable method to transport oil across North America. And it was about ensuring that – while our economy still runs on oil – we are not dependent on unstable foreign governments to meet those needs.

The XL project would have connected oil reserves in Alberta, Canada to existing pipeline here in the U.S. It would have increased America’s access to reliable energy sources, and created thousands of jobs for pipefitters, welders, mechanics, and electricians. What's more, hundreds of other positions would have developed for manufacturers and local businesses along the route.


The decision to approve the Keystone XL pipeline should have never been a question. President Obama claimed the jobs created by this project were only temporary, but that argument was oversimplified and misleading. No construction job is permanent, but all benefit our economy.

In this country, we rely on private sector, free market jobs to fuel our economy. Those are the jobs that would have been created by the Keystone XL pipeline, and those are the jobs the White House chose to sacrifice by rejecting this project.