Daines, Zinke vow to press forward on pipeline

U.S. Sen.-elect Steve Daines, R-Mont., and U.S. Rep.-elect Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., on Wednesday announced that legislation to approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline will be their top priority in the new year.

Daines said that the first piece of legislation he will sign onto as Montana’s next U.S. senator will be a bill to approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. 

Zinke will sign on to the bill when it reaches the House and pledged to fight for the bill’s swift passage in both chambers, according to a news release.

Daines, who will be sworn in on Tuesday, will serve as an original co-sponsor to the Senate legislation and will help introduce the bill alongside Sen. John Hoeven, R-North Dakota. As a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Daines will serve a key role in moving the legislation through the committee process.

“My number one priority in the U.S. Senate will be to move forward common-sense legislation that will help grow our economy and create jobs — and this bill to approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline will achieve just that,” Daines said in the news release. 

“Montanans have waited more than six years for President Obama and the U.S. Senate to approve this job-creating project — yet time and time again, political games and special interests have stood in the way. Montanans deserve action and results, not more roadblocks.”

Zinke also will take office on Tuesday. 

Zinke, from Whitefish, will serve on the House Natural Resources Committee. 

“For too long the people of Montana have been waiting for Washington to quit playing politics with our jobs and American energy and finally start leading, which is why I will make it a top priority to bring swift and decisive action to approve the Keystone XL pipeline in the House,” Zinke said. “Working together with Steve Daines in the U.S. Senate, I will lead the fight in the House to put Montana’s hard-working families ahead of the special interests and politics-as-usual of Washington.”

Daines has long been a vocal proponent of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would enter the United States through Montana, and has been spearheading efforts in the House to approve its construction.

Daines is moving from the House to the Senate.

In the House, Daines cosponsored the Northern Route Approval Act, legislation that would permit construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.