“Contrary to the scare tactics of the small minority who oppose building it, the Keystone pipeline is a critical piece of infrastructure that will safely transport the cleanest barrels of oil produced in North America,” says the senator. “Canada is our closest, strongest trading partner and their environmental standards are among the highest in the world. A majority of the American people, particularly those I represent, support moving forward on Keystone. Considering all of this, it is hard for me to understand why there are still questions about whether building this pipeline is in our national interest.”

The proposed trek through Nebraska was backed by the state’s governor and attorney general before being delayed by a district court judge there.  The injunction means that the question of where exactly the pipeline will run will go to committee.

“I am going to stay focused, as Chair of the Energy Committee, on moving our nation forward as an energy powerhouse and that requires the proper infrastructure, whether it’s our transmission lines, our pipelines, our roads or our ports. It is important not only to our economy, but to our energy independence and our position in the world as a super power. That’s what this budget reflects,” Landrieu went on to say.

Senator Landrieu is not just a long-time supporter of the pipeline, she is an advocate as well.  In fact, the senator even met last month with Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird and Alberta Premier Alison Redford.  The meeting focused not only on the benefits the pipeline would bring to both Canada and the US, but the imperative nature of the pipeline itself.  Canada is currently the number one exporter of oil to the United States and the pipeline would help facilitate that relationship even further.

Landrieu, along with fellow Senator John Hoeven, even went as far as introducing a bipartisan resolution in the US Senate in July 2013.  The resolution detailed just how beneficial the pipeline would be to the United States.  Landrieu joined with 53 of her fellow senators in sending a letter to President Obama in January of 2013.

The State Department is involved because the pipeline crosses the international border between Canada and the US.  Still, President Obama has already made it clear no matter what the State Department concludes, the ultimate decision rests with him.

At a cost of $7 billion, the pipeline will carry 830 mbopd to oil refineries on America’s Gulf Coast.  This oil will come primarily from the oil sands of Alberta in Western Canada.  On top of that, the pipeline would carry as much as 100 mbopd from the Bakken formation in North Dakota and Montana.

Proponents for the project point out that on top of the economic boost, the project is a job creator as well.  Estimates show that as many as 40,000 jobs will be created.  These estimates come from none other than the State Department itself.

Senator Landrieu is quick to point out that the Keystone Pipeline is an issue that crosses party lines.  Democrats and Republicans alike have joined in the effort to push through the much needed infrastructure that will invariably help cut US imports from Venezuela and the Middle East, and help move American oil supply as well.