January 21, 2021

The Honorable President Biden

President of the United States of America

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW

Washington, D.C. 20500

President Biden:

I write today to urge you to reconsider your executive order to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline permit. The project should not be controversial. It is strongly supported by our Canadian allies and provides mutual benefits for both countries that bolsters our economies and strengthen our collective energy security.

In the second week of the new year, the U.S. lost nearly a million jobs. The COVID pandemic continues to devastate the economy and our energy industry. Affordable and reliable energy produced at home and by our allies will play a central role in getting our economy back on its feet. It is imperative that we ensure that safe, smart projects such as the Keystone XL get completed. All told, the Keystone XL is expected to produce over 14,000 well-paying jobs at a time when we desperately need them.

The Keystone XL will help keep energy costs low for Americans recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Affordable and reliable energy is the key to the modern economy. It powers our homes, our smartphones, our churches, our schools, and our ability to bring food and other necessary goods to markets here and overseas. Over the past decade, America has achieved energy dominance. This was no accident. Projects such as the Keystone XL make it possible.

Furthermore, the project has undergone numerous studies and has continually been deemed environmentally safe by experts. In fact, approximately three million miles of pipelines operate safely across the nation every day. Pipelines keep our economy going, keep gas prices low, and keep trucks and trains off the roads and tracks, which helps keep our air clean. Canceling the Keystone XL flies against the facts and common sense.

The project is a partnership with Canada that has been years in the making and provides many shared benefits for both nations. In addition to safely transporting roughly 800,000 barrels of oil per day, the type of crude that it would carry is critical to our nation’s energy makeup. The heavy crudes that flow from our key energy partner compliments the lighter crudes produced in Permian Basin and other regions. These blends are cleanly refined and either used domestically or sold on the international markets.

This harmonious balance strengthens our energy security profile and makes the United States less reliant on authoritarian regimes and insulates us from the manipulations of illiberal organizations. We should be seeking the strengthen the energy partnerships of North America – not weaken them. Canceling the pipeline damages the relationship with one of our oldest and closest allies, and signal that the United States is an unreliable partner.

During this economic downturn, it is imperative we place an emphasis on ensuring American families have access to affordable and reliable energy sources; and avoid policies that would impose additional costs on their day-to-day lives or shake the confidence in our commitments to our partners and allies. We appreciate your attention to this matter and implore you to reconsider the decision to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline.

August Pfluger

Member of Congress