WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, on Thursday participated in a colloquy on the Senate floor to urge the president to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. The colloquy was led by Sen. John Hoeven, R-North Dakota, and included a bipartisan group of eight senators.

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“In my Energy 20/20 document, I focus on five different areas that we need to talk about when it comes to energy policy. Our energy should be abundant, affordable, clean, diverse and secure,” Murkowski said. “And when we talk about the fifth one – security – this is where the Keystone XL project really comes in to play.”

Murkowski also highlighted the ripple effect that construction of the pipeline would have throughout the U.S. economy, providing not only an ample supply of energy, but also jobs and other economic benefits that ripple from a project this level.

“It is energy security from the perspective of reducing our reliance on those countries that we don't necessarily like, removing ourselves from the need to import OPEC oil, and having the ability to control our destiny from a perspective of abundance rather than from scarcity,” Murkowski said. “We should look to our friends and neighbors. We should work with the Canadians. The president should sign the Keystone XL pipeline bill into law. He should make it happen.”

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For further information, please contact Robert Dillon at 202.224.6977 or Robert_dillon@energy.senate.gov or Megan Moskowitz at 202.224.7875 or Megan_Moskowitz@energy.senate.gov.

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