HELENA, Mont. – ICYMI: Governor Greg Gianforte visited Montanans in Phillips and Valley counties, where he saw firsthand the impacts of President Biden’s decision to shut down the Keystone XL pipeline and Senator Tester’s refusal to support reauthorization of the project.
After the visits, Governor Gianforte issued the following statement:
“President Biden’s decision to shut down the Keystone XL Pipeline project is devastating to Montana. Today, we heard from Montanans who invested millions in their businesses in anticipation of this project and the economic boost it would bring their communities.
“We heard from school administrators and parents, who had anticipated increased revenues to recruit and pay teachers to educate their kids.
“We heard from officials with electric cooperatives, who had plans to build dozens of miles of transmission lines to the pipeline – bringing electricity to some of the region’s most rural areas.
“We heard from the local chamber of commerce, about how the project would have benefited their local businesses, created good-paying Montana jobs, and boosted our economy.
“And we heard from Montanans, who were once optimistic about what the Keystone XL Pipeline project could mean for their treasured rural communities.
With the stroke of a pen, President Biden took all of that away. I join these Montanans in sending a loud and clear message to President Biden: your Keystone XL decision must be reversed.”
Background Info:
· Within hours of assuming office, President Biden revoked the Keystone XL pipeline permit, costing Montana thousands of jobs and tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue.
· When faced with his first opportunity to side with Montanans on a vote to authorize the Keystone XL pipeline construction in the reconciliation package before the U.S. Senate, Tester voted in favor of the amendment to ensure its inclusion in the final product. Yet just hours later, Senator Tester was the deciding vote to strip any amendment from the final product, effectively killing any opportunity to move forward legislation authorizing Keystone XL’s construction.
· Senator Tester’s flip-flop should be a wake-up call for the hardworking Montanans. Our Senior Senator was unwilling to stand up to President Biden and Chuck Schumer’s job-killing agenda to protect Montana jobs.
· Since then, Senator Daines introduced legislation to reauthorize the Keystone XL pipeline and offer a legislative path for the project. So far, Senator Tester refuses to support this Daines-led legislative effort.
