Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Ronald L. Wyden (D-Ore.) believed he had brought an uncontroversial energy efficiency bill to the US Senate floor for debate Sept. 12. That quickly changed when Sen. John Thune (R-SD) introduced an amendment expressing support for the proposed Keystone XL crude oil pipeline project.
The amendment, which Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) actually wrote, would "simply put the Senate on the record as saying the Keystone Pipeline is, in fact, in our national interest," Thune said. "I believe that is a statement the Senate ought to make. We ought to weigh in on this subject."
Hoeven said Democrats also backed his amendment. "This is not about making a statement. This is about getting something done in a bipartisan way from the people's representatives across this great nation," he maintained.
Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.) said she was the main cosponsor from that side of the aisle, but would be followed on the floor by Mark Begich (D-Alas.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-SD).
When Wyden regained the floor, he asked, and received, unanimous consent that two of the project's opponents also be allowed to speak.
Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee, went first. "There is a reason why it is taking a long time to get this approved," she said. "It is because it is very controversial, and there are some irrefutable facts that I think need to be laid on the table about this pipeline."
Another member of that committee, Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), said that while he didn't hear all the speeches in support of Keystone XL, "I heard seven senators speak for 45 min, and I believe the words 'climate change' and 'carbon pollution' were never mentioned."
Debate has changed
Wyden then noted he had visited North Dakota at Hoeven's invitation and found "there are a lot of opportunities for common ground." They did not, however, include Keystone XL because "the debate about the pipeline has changed very significantly since it was originally proposed," he said.
He noted that leading officials from Continental Resources Inc., the Bakken shale's largest producer; Suncor Energy Inc., one of Canada's top producers; and Valero Energy Corp., the largest US independent refiner-marketer, have all said Keystone XL is no longer critical.
But Wyden didn't dodge the issue. He said there would be more discussion, once he's had a chance to talk with senators on both sides about the best procedures. "I am going…to see if we can find some common ground so we can get the issues that senators want addressed done promptly, and then go to the energy efficiency legislation," he said.
