House lays out pro-Keystone XL agenda

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- A Republican-led House Energy Committee said that, while Keystone XL is just one piece of the energy puzzle, it's a key component of the wider whole.

The GOP has drafted its new course for the next Congress following the Republican takeover of the Senate after Tuesday's midterm elections. Getting the Keystone XL pipeline approved is at the top of the Republican agenda.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee issued an agenda statement Thursday, saying the congressional energy strategy should be broader than just one pipeline.

"But Keystone XL still remains an important part of any comprehensive energy plan so we will keep fighting for its approval," the statement read.

In an op-ed published by The Wall Street Journal, expected Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said authorizing the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline has "obvious" bipartisan support.

When earlier pro-Keystone XL legislation moved through the current Congress, Oil Change International found the nine Senate Democrats and the entire Republican rank, including McConnell, that supported the effort received an average $375,000 in campaign contributions each from the oil industry.

Keystone XL planner TransCanada submitted an application to the U.S. government more than six years ago. A special permit is needed because it would cross the federal border.

President Barack Obama addressed the Republican agenda in a Wednesday address. Keystone XL is "one small aspect" of the larger energy narrative in North America, he said.

The approval process for Keystone XL hinges in part on a Nebraska court decision on whether the governor there has the authority to approve the pipeline's route.