Legislative Updates from U.S. Rep. Tom Graves

Recent submissions from the Office of U.S. Rep. Tom Graves, who represents Paulding County:

Keystone XL Pipeline

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) issued the following statement after the Senate passed legislation to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline by a bipartisan vote of 62-36:

“I applaud my colleagues in the Senate for passing this common-sense jobs bill. The Keystone XL Pipeline will create more than 40,000 jobs and add billions of dollars to our economy. Even though the president has threatened to veto legislation approving this pipeline, I truly hope that, once a bill is sitting on his desk, he will not turn his back on all of the Americans who would have the opportunity to work as a result of this pipeline.”

On January 9, 2015, Rep. Graves voted in favor of the Keystone XL Pipeline Act (H.R. 3), which is companion legislation to the Senate-passed bill. H.R. 3 passed the House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote of 266 to 153.

Now, the House will either work with the Senate to rectify their two different bills approving the pipeline, or simply vote on the Senate bill.

Streamline Natural Gas Permitting

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) issued the following statement after voting in favor of the LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act (H.R. 351), which would streamline the permitting process for exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG):

“First and foremost, this common-sense legislation is a jobs bill. By simplifying the complicated permitting process to export liquefied natural gas, we can put as many as 45,000 unemployed Americans back to work. And by increasing exports, the bill also provides security for us at home and for our allies abroad by creating another counter weight to hostile nations that gain influence through energy production. I hope the Senate and President will move quickly to turn this bipartisan legislation into law.”

The Department of Energy must approve applications to export liquefied natural gas to nations with which the United Sates does not have a Free Trade Agreement. Of the 38 applications submitted since 2010, the Department of Energy has only issued a final decision on five applications.

H.R. 351 passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 277 to 133.