Senator votes against Keystone approval, calls for renewal of clean energy tax extenders

WASHINGTON (November, 18, 2014) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass) released the following statement after the Senate debate and vote on legislation to reject the Keystone XL pipeline. Senator Markey has been outspoken in his opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline, arguing that it will worsen climate change while making the United States a middleman in effort to ship dirty Canadian oil to foreign markets in Asia, Europe and South America. He voted no on the measure today.

 

“The Canadian Keystone export pipeline isn’t about helping Americans at the gas pump, it’s about pumping up profits for oil companies. This export pipeline would make the United States a middleman to ship Canadian oil to the thirstiest foreign markets abroad, where they can charge more for their oil while our country assumes all the environmental risk.

 

“Today the Senate argued about a twentieth century energy strategy, the Keystone XL pipeline, instead of a twenty-first century energy strategy that includes wind, solar and energy efficiency. We need to level the energy playing field by extending tax credits for the wind, solar and energy efficiency industries that are creating permanent jobs in Massachusetts and across our country.

 

“Just days after the historic U.S. – China climate agreement, the Senate debated and voted on a bill that would exacerbate climate change, do little to improve our nation’s energy security and threaten our environment.” 

The video of Senator Markey’s floor remarks can be found HERE.  

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