Senator Tim Scott Statement on Keystone XL Pipeline

Washington – U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) released the statement below following Senate Democrats’ refusal to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, which is supported by 60 percent of the American public.   “It is extremely disappointing that Senate Democrats and the President continue to block construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Their opposition to the creation of tens of thousands of jobs continues to amaze, and six years of stalling and delaying must come to an end.   While we all agree our energy policy should promote sustainable, accessible and affordable sources of energy – decision-makers too often forget the affordable piece. The fact of the matter is if your income is under $30,000, 25 percent of your income goes towards energy consumption. This is an incredible burden to place on single parents and low-income families struggling to make their ends meet.   Keystone provides opportunity not only to address that issue in the broader topic of energy, but to specifically address issues faced by millions and millions of Americans – unemployment and energy poverty. While Senate Democrats unfortunately once again ignored these facts, I look forward to tackling this issue in the Republican majority next year.”   Senator Scott released a white paper on energy poverty earlier this year with Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who is expected to serve as Chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee beginning next year. ###