We are going to do our part to ask every candidate for president including Hillary Clinton and any of the others whether they agree with Elizabeth Warren on these issues like Social Security, more website reform and making college more affordable. Jenk, independent line from north carolina. Caller yes. My observation is, i think he made the statement that anybody that opposes the president s executive action on immigration does it to the detriment of the hispanic voter. But if they are illegal, they cant vote. And then you also commented on al franken winning in 2008 by 384 votes. How many of those votes were found under a church pew or came from the prison population that couldnt vote . And why is it that the Progressive Party seems to rely on the stupidity of the American Voter . Guest thats a great question. Rightwing talking points, they are still alive six years later including the al franken vote. He turned 312 votes victory margin in a high electorate president ial Election Year into a 10 point marge maintain low turnout year. The question is why . The reason is voters arent stupid. They saw him for six years and he has a populist vision. He put key parts to force Insurance Companies to give rebates to customers he ripped off. Put at a time key provisions in the wall street reform bill that would stop corruption on wall street, stop some of the way they get a corrupt way. He has been out there for overturning Citizens United and Net Neutrality. Voters arent stupid. They voted for him. Thats where we disagree. Married, tom, republican line. Go ahead. Caller yes. Good morning. I would like you to focus on keeping things simple. You may get through to more people if you slow your temperature o down. Number 1, my litmus test for any politician is will you support food stamps . Because anybody that will not support children and elderly who have benefits of food stamps to 70 of the program doesnt deserve to be in washington. And you said as a flash point, a land mine for these republicans. Host okay. Well, first of all, i would like to say hello to my grandmother, barbara watching in new jersey, and i am often reminded to slow down a little bit. So, i appreciate your words of wisdom there. And i agree with you on the values front. Something like food stamps, something that third way would call a life preserver and criticize that is a fair proxy for whos side are you on . Will you give people the minimum basics in life like food . Social security is part and parcel of that same thing. The decision to expand Social Security idea advanced by tom harkin from the first president ial state of iowa and marg begich from the red state of alaska already carried forward from brian shots and ohio. Will we give seniors the minimal amount they can afford both housing, medicine and food . And i think thats a completely fair proxy to judge people on. Austin texas. Here is more on democrats line. Hello. Thank you for taking my call. I have two points to make. The first one, the first one has to do with immigration. And being from the state of texas, we are very sensitive to illegal immigration down here. Texas has flagrantly disregarded the federal Immigration Law by allowing a great number of Illegal Immigrants into the state to the point where u. S. Citizens i have four University Degrees and i cant find a job. And they are in the stem disciplines and i cant find a job. So first of all, i do support the progressive movement. I dont support it with respect to injecting 4 million Illegal Immigrants into the workforce. And the effects that will have on Social Security. It will blow it up because every one of those who get a provitional work permit will also get a Social Security number. It will destroy that program. And i just i cant understand why that isnt talked about or even if you guys realize that. Can i ask a question caller sure. If the president adopts this, does it change how you vote or who you vote for . Caller in this past election, i voted for anything other than a democrat because of that, and if he does abuse the executive order, i will support impeachment. From austin, texas. You seem like a good person and you have my genuine sympathy that you are struggle to go find a job. I guess i would ask you the honest question do you believe that people who are illegally coming across the border are have the skill set that would compete with you in four degrees . Do you think that they are actually taking the job that you are in contention for, or is it possibly a matter of American Companies not creating jobs here because they have written the tax rules such that they are incentivized to ship jobs overseas, they have the ability to have your skill set, have it done in china for a 5th of the cost and they can write the tax laws in such a way that they can keep the profits seers and not have to pay taxes . Might that be a little bit more of the caused of you not having a job than somebody illegally coming across the border . I would ask you to think about it. I think there is a lot of skate goeping, picking on the little guy. Democrats have been complicit in not calling out corporate abuse of our system. Thats why we need to he lets not have the corporations. Lets fight for fem like you. Her sentiment about future votes concerned particularly over immigration . Guest in his executive order host yeah. Guest there will be some rightwing push back to that. I hope he there are a certain set of people like laura who will be always open minded and look for the proper it scapegoat, not pick on those who have no power, and, you know, i think that if president obama helps millions of people by signalling whos side he is on and we have a robust debate about this, that will give us the opportunity to change some minds and set the Democratic Party in a trajectory where on this and many other issues, they answer the question of whos side are you on and its for the little guy. Adam greene is the co foindzer for the Progressive Change Campaign committee, allprogressives dog guest thats right. Host wanted to check. On the next washington journal, Brian Bennett discusses president obama and immigration policy. Paul alalso speak with bergo on the congressional agenda. Bradford fitch [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2014] monday night on the , the Columbia Law School professor who coined the term Net Neutrality and how to manage the internet. One of the things that is getting overlooked in this generally in the big how are they going to get broadband. No one is addressing that. Title to does give the agency more power to do things like mandate universal service, like we did with the Telephone Service in the 20 century. It collects money, which right now goes to subsidize wrong Telephone Service. That could be done to create Rural Broadband service. They could say that we need a universal Service Program and people need to have broadband. Easterny night at 8 00 on cspan2. Danford Center Recently partnered. Spoke about the politics of the keystone xl pipeline and how the debate carried religious debate. This is 25 minutes. Good to see you. Im going to take a few minutes and talk about pipeline and protestants. In early 2012, amid the unprecedented heat of one of the strangest brings in history, barack obama set out for oklahoma to jumpstart an energy to her. The politician had work to do. He seemed unfazed by the blistering temperatures and torrential storms that made march the like july. Oklahoma, in cushing, obama talked about energy. He laid out his plans for americas future. First came the trivia to folks who drill the nations crude, then an appeal to their vote. Ier the last three years, have directed my administration to open up millions of acres for gas and Oil Exploration across 23 different states. We are opening up more than 75 of our potential or resources offshore. The number ofpled operating rates to a record high. We have added enough new pipeline to encircle the earth and then some. Statement for an all of the above Energy Strategy came last. The plan was four fault. More jobs, Oil Development and infrastructure, more drive towards Renewable Energy and care of the environment, and more Domestic Production and less dependency on foreign oil. We have got to have a vision for the future. That is what america has always been about. That is how we have to think about energy. God bless you. God bless United States of america. As policy, this beach had a few incongruities. Do americans truly get more of everything with little cost . How might an openended eight energy call that the earth . Republican democratic naysayers question the president speech and pondered whether all of the above would result in none of the above results. Talk wasr, obamas boilerplate, designed to rally troops. Illustrated his thinking. When he won the democratic primaries in 2008, he predicted that in his a ministration the ride to the oceans and the planet begin to heal. Evidence ofadmitted rising waters in a wounded planet, he preferred to boast about pipelines and circling the earth. His broader record further reveals uncertainty. In the struggle over Transcanada Keystone pipeline, which inspired his oklahoma visit, he has spoken for and against the enterprise, urged construction in some sections, the late anothers, paused for environmental reassessment, and in. It activists and in. It activists. It is too simple to highlight this disjointed mess. His conundrums are products of profoundly complex circumstances. Categories,partisan culture war, blue red divides, energy politics, drawing into collision multiple ideas. Politicswords, energy are totalizing an existential. It has always been that way, especially with oil, my focus for today. Since the dawn of their oil age, americans have you the black stuff is more than a source of feel. It has defined their diet and sent them to war, allowed regions to flourish and others to fall, generated anxiety about americas place in this world and its peoples prospects in the next. Ultimateng oils significance, it is no far reach to conclude that presentday energy politics, in which obama is embroiled, carry religious way. This is what i would like to conclude, i would like us to conclude today, that our struggles over pipelines represent a clash of competing carbon gospel stemming from terms, and the histories and visions of their future that frame the political possibilities. Us to this nudge conclusion, i will glance very gospels,t four evidenced in obamas speech. The four points i just highlighted. All of which are pressing on obamas current struggles with the keystone debate. I will highlight there are awakening, the moment this new thinking, new imagination about pipelines and oil him or and mentioned a few profit suits at these and the motion. I will posit the end for some appreciation of the president s dilemma. First, first crude awakening, that which stimulated a protest against the petrol machine in defense of possessive individualism. Work iseart of obamas the attempt to help petroleums underclass. Their cries for access to the economic promises as oil and protection from Oil Companies reverberate with the familiar populist beat. Recent struggles over the pipeline in the dakotas, we see ranchers joining native americans to protests the way in which land is being taken from them. This is combined with anxiety how many jobst will or will not be created by the pipeline. These entwined concerns bring together an interesting and curious coalition of activists, have made oil patch locals of all political stripes, ranchers, native americans, a hesitant majority convinced only two things, that Oil Companies cannot be trusted to care for the land and labor pulls they seek to tap and that local people deserve the fruits of the development that is disrupting their soil. In this rhetoric, the echo of disquiet that has reverberated for over a century which takes us back to the first crude awakening in the earlier 20 century, which raise the disquiet and created an attending gospel of protests against petrol capitalism. In the early 1900s, americans came to term with their Energy Revolution and its first victims. As we know, those who have read history textbooks, the first victims were those rankandfile producers and locals who struggled under the weight of John D Rockefellers standard oil. A developed baptist, rockefeller was evangelical in his view. Besides deeming his extraction of crude oil the dental, he believed that his corporate ventures where ask of do ask of redemption. This christian certainty gave him a courageous persistence and capacity for you think and strategic firms, that also a messianic selfrighteousness and contempt for those shortsighted mortals who made the mistake of standing in his way. The mortals saw it differently. Journalistion was a whose name we all recognize from text books as a woman who destroyed the standard trust. What is less appreciated is the degree to which in this moment her actions grew out of a wrestling with god and the ghost of her youth. I dont have time to walk us through her history of fascinating biography, someone who has been raised in western oil country to methodist parents , someone who took our methodist face seriously. Movement which a was located just an hour away in new york. Through her experiences in western pennsylvania, her father was an oilman whose spirit was crushed by the rockefeller machine, she started to look at journalism is a possibility to combine her faith, her familiar ustory, and work that into deeming critique of standard oil. We know the rest of the story. By 1904, she pushes the history of standard oil, which identifies rockefeller as the man who symbolized all that is wrong in National Life at that moment. The ultimate conclusion to this is the supreme courts ruling of 1911, which dismantle standard oil. The other legacy here, the one that she would be quested to future generations, all boils rankandfile was a doctrine of possessive capitalism. When fighting rockefeller, her work stressed the peer quality of the local patch in which he grew up. It was not a condemnation of petrol capitalism. She writes, they look forward with all the eagerness of the young who have just learned of powers through the years of struggle. They would need their own needs. There was nothing they did not hope and there. In oilsh firstgeneration mirrored her belief in the goodness of the church in the human ability to Better Society through smart application of biblical rinse apples. It also massed turk that petrol capitalism had to remain egalitarian if it were to thrive. Free competition was there it in. She theology eyes she theology lysed he came to understand the struggle with standard to protect the values of small Scale Production by individual labors. She would write, god gave man the land, but man has to use his hand and brain and its cultivation before he can feed and clothed and sheltered himself. It is the partner ship of the two, land and labor which produces wealth. Because of rockefeller, labor had become dependent on capital. Though she could not imagine it at the time, her countering ethic of individuals would endure among men and women like her parents for generations to come. It leads to a second and third crude awakening that i will glance over briefly. Standard was not defeated. It was fractured and the 34 Different Companies that in fact in a fitted from the diversification. In the 1930s and 1940s, and this moment of chaos in east texas, where new oil and a boom is bringing over production to the awareness of the federal isernment that the new deal deciding to work with major companies, to create some sense of order in the field. The standards of new jersey, california, new york are going to team up. The secretary of the interior in the 1930s and 1940s to bring order to the fields. There were others who were going to frame a new vision of what i would call a civil religion of crude in the mid20th century. Government working with major Oil Companies could encourage expansion of both christian dem and a gentler Democratic Oil kingdom to the rest of the world. William eddie was one of the spokespersons of this vision. He writes in 1940 as he was trying to open up saudi arabia for a wrong coast standard of california, we who believe in christian them serve the only to touch our tanking we need to cover ourselves which herrity and then when ever we walk we shall find her cells on holy ground. Three years later as a consultant for california standard he was surveying arabia for crude, five years later broke from the deal between saudis king and americans mutualnt aced on his trust. His was a firm belief that an accu medical, big liberal religion could usher humanity into a new age. The religious fervor behind this message has abated. As witnessed in obamas cushings beach, its his options about washingtons dominion over petrol reserves bring the federal government into the regulatory position that we see today. Thiss gesture to petroleum benevolence and a closing acumen of gold we forgot splicing, i think we see the remnants of the second crude awakening today. A third awaking really follows chronologically in the 1950s and 1970s, the rise of the wildcat oilman we are familiar with in texas. Wildcat was a response defensive to what the American Government was doing, partnering major Oil Companies with washington to open up foreign fields. It was defensive in the sense that independent Oil Producers here in the southwest especially their vision of their industry was being challenged. A number of prophets stepped up to this point to champion the rule of capture. A very evangelical ideology. One of them was robert kerr, i hopeful, optimistic wildcat or as oklahomas governor and senator in the 1940s and 1950s, he labored to meet independent oils needs and carry the mantle for the dispossessed, ill be at a wealthy dispossessed, working all of his connections to give small produces the protections they deserve. What is interesting here is how robert kerr, a prominent southern baptist, was able to fall his politics and his interest in the protection of independent oilman with his faith in the ability of individuals to approach scripture and christ on their own terms, much as the same way they approached minerals. Also a harder edge to this wildcat christianity that emerged in the 1970s, connecting the fear of people, the fear that america was losing its ability control its most buyers resource, losing that to the middle east, to saudi arabia, that took the form of distance and nationalism profit. They combined the fears of peak that americaking had lost its ability prepare for the end times in the right manner. Why . Because the federal government and major Oil Companies had stolen their authority and power. The fourth us to crude awakening. This is the one that we are dealing with today. A carbon free gospel, if you will. Despite his sweeping promises president obama failed to convince the leaders of the current awaking. ,t makes no sense at all speaking of obamas referencing of improving the environment and Renewable Energy sources, drilling everywhere you can and then putting up a solar panel is like drinking six martinis and then topping them off with a vitamin water. You are still drunk. You just have your days for allotment of vitamin c and vitamin d. Hisnaysayers are also onetime champions bid those leading this crude awakening our environment activists who were bolstered by obamas during speech during the 2008 national convention, but they have been battered sense. Among them several voices stand out, but no one is more eloquent than Bill Mckibben. Bill mckibben became an authoractivists in 2011 just of the keystone crisis was emerging in his mind. Since then, he has led marches through washington, new york city. With each step forward as an activist, Bill Mckibben has been a deliberate reaching back into the repositories of scripture and back to that lands spirituality. In a way, his view of oil is the only ultimate test for humanity. He blends his love of the bible with all of natures mysteries. Through his writings, activism, he has managed to stir up a new constituency of activists. Young evangelicals. Pentecostal and gospel youth have journeyed to watching washington to stand with him, mennonites, indigenous communities. Another isolated moments, they have traveled to nebraska and texas to chain of zoster bulldozers and use faith to subvert oils order. Revival this as a great , of the kind witnessed in the 19 century. Disagree with the way in which zealous, evangelical young people are still looking for the next revival. In his estimation, the fires of revival are already burning bright. Barack obama also since is the heat of these four revivals. These four awakenings. Unlike mckibben, his charges manifold, living with the legacy of several crude awakenings and countering carbon gospel so multiple sides, his is a test tough task of the need sorting out. That is why the all of the above Energy Policy has been convenient, and why his Energy Dilemma could be his successors too. That is a misleading conclusion as well. Decision isinal impending. Its destiny and the consequences for people on the planes to be decided soon. All the more it seems now that pipeline supporting republicans of taking control of the senate. According to several washington insiders, the keystone was seen as the big winner on tuesday, and one of the most heralded victories in gop circles. Republican leaders have promised to make the pipeline a priority with the goal of sending the president the bill to authorize its completion and daring him to veto it. Whether lost or won, the keystone is only the tip of mounting warfare between multiple parties, all of which hold deep convictions about the proper place of oil and energy in our new millennia. The carbon Free Campaign may end up losing the keystone fight, wildcat is may win, but this movement for reform is forcing many north americans to read place a reckoning. It is also pretty surprising results and most curious evidence of new directions. Even as the Koch Brothers and their lobbying have raised the ire of american liberals, and all birder, home to the oil fields, its green salvation is billionaires who seem threatening to the order. Among the salvation is billionaires of whom the canadian speak for the rockefellers whose foundations are leading a wider tar sands campaign. Thehe case of the former, vesting the oil holdings, pulling the lead of mckibbens organization. Rockefellers abandoning petroleum, shunning the canadian oilsands in the 1950s, such are the striking signs of revolution. Historians should not be too surprised. Change is what we write about. The fleeting this of tidy analytical categories, even a quick glance at this should remind us of that. We are privy to a host of characters and dynamics that dont necessary lineup with our conventions of religions of political history. The spiritual calamity of oil in these moments created flashes of that shattered binaries. Partnersuncommon faith along with the nonreligious together behind shared ethics of Place Capital labor and custodianship over christmas by treasure. The degree to which these insurgencies would disrupt a familiar narrative and categories and produce Major Political realignment going for it is a question yet to be answered. What is striking is the way in which those locked in arms over pipelines in protests have created a transcendent ambition and worry for Many Americans over the issue of oil. We shortchange our history when we dont calculate the deep structures, the meaning that those living in oilrich zones ascribed to their labor on and below the land and measure the length they will go politically to protect their rights to these and counters. We also far short by not allowing the dense complexities in the relationship. No conspiracy of interest, bigelow versus the people, oil as a way of eliciting to virgin imaginations. Notions of work and family, patterns of time, and the nations proper engagement with the world. It is in the contestation within oil culture that we can identify the prompts for some of americas most profound political and religious turns. Thank you. [applause] legislation authorizing the construction of the keto Keystone Pipeline is making its way through congress for their is a bill introduced by mary landrieu. She spoke from the senate floor about the importance of passing the measure and the 60 votes that will be required to move the bill forward. I believe it is time to act. The new majority leader at his word and stop blocking legislation that is broadly supported by the American Public and has been for quite some time. I want to say yes to majority leader new majority leader Mitch Mcconnell. The time to start is now. The public has clearly spoken. And i believe that we can move forward on several important pieces of legislation. Senator reid mentioned the marketplace fairness act. That is another very important piece of legislation that i believe needs to be moved through and with a little push right now it could get done, and it would be a significant boost to business and retail that are being hurt every day by our inaction. But my comments today are going to be about the Keystone Pipeline because i am chair of the Energy Committee for the United States senate and im going to do everything in my power here and at home on the campaign trail, where im still in a runoff, as you know, to get this project moving forward. One of the extraordinary facts about the Keystone Pipeline is not what it is and im going to talk about that in a minute and what it does, but one of the most extraordinary pieces of argument for why we should pass it is the Unprecedented Coalition that supports it. Now, there are other bills that have a longer list of supporters. There are bills that have pages and pages of there are bills that have pages and pages of lists, but this particular bill has a relatively short list of organizations but they are extremely powerful and they are extremely diverse which makes it compelling and i think it makes us or should make us want to stand up and respond to this coalition. Im going to read their names because ive got some time to do this before we call i call for unanimous consent to pass the original hoevenlandrieu keystone bill, which is a standalone keystone bill as originally introduced with 45 republican cosponsors every member of the Republican Caucus is already a cosponsor of this bill. And we have on that bill about 12 democratic cosponsors, and i am confident that we have the additional votes necessary to pass it. The american chemistry council, the american concrete pipe association, the american exploration and production council, the american highways users alliance, the American Petroleum institute, the american road and transportation builders, american truckers association, associate general contractors of america, association of oil pipelines, concrete reinforcing steel institute, distribution contractors association, independent Petroleum Association of america, Industrial Minerals association of north america, institute for 21st century energy, International Brotherhood of electrical workers, Laborers International union of north america. And let me start there and make a point. Many bills that pass here or are attempted to pass here either have a list of all business organizations artificially all labor organizations or or article labor organizations or all environmental , you know, highway contractors. This bill has such an extraordinary Diverse Group of some of the strongest Business Leaders in the country and i want to underscore to my democratic colleagues that are supporting this piece of legislation, tremendous support from labor unions. Because labor unions, like Business Leaders, want jobs. They want profits. They want success. They want more investment in business, creating good middleclass jobs. And the difference between the oil and gas industry, which ive been pleased to be a strong advocate for in many, many different facets, is that this industry does produce the kinds of jobs that americans really want. Not minimumwage jobs, not just slightly above minimum wage but jobs that in my state the senator knows this because hes well aware of this start at 60,000, 70,000, 85,000 for a young man artificiall man or a n coming out of high school or a trade school, let alone college. These are very important jobs. Thats why labor unions are represented here along with Portland Cement association, the plastics industry, the United States associate of journeymen and plumbers and pipe fitters industry, american concrete, the business roundtable, american supply association, american iron and steel institute, National Association of manufacturers, National Electric contractors association, National Roofing contractors. Why would Roofing Contractors be supporting the Keystone Pipeline . There are no roofs on a pipeline. But there are thousands of roofs on workers needed to build a pipeline all along the route of this pipeline. There will be increases of populations of housing, industrial sites, retail, residential supporting over 40,000 workers to build this pipeline. The north american dye casting association, the National Utility contractors. , yo, you know, associate businesses. The u. S. Gas and association business. And finally, steel manufacturers and western alliance. Now, this is an extraordinary coalition that has come together to support the hoevenlandrieu bill. The bill that im going to call up in a few minutes for unanimous consent to pass because i believe what the new majority leader has said and i believe what senator cornyn has just said, the senator from texas, and i believe what the current majority leader has sa said, soon to be minority leader in the next congress, that we need to Work Together and that we can Work Together and we need to begin to do that today. Not tomorrow. Not in january. Not in february. Not in march. Not around the corner. Not next week. But today. That would send the most positive signal. And im not asking to have unanimous consent on 10 bills that are controversial. Im not asking us to do the impossible. Im not asking us to do something that just came up last week. Im asking us to move forward on a bill that has labor support, business support, general contractor support and the American People, most importantly. The latest polls on the Keystone Pipeline, not just in my state and i see my colleague from West Virginia and not just in West Virginia, but polls in this country from california to new york, to michigan to pennsylvania, to ohio to florida and to texas overwhelmingly democrats, republicans not everyone but overwhelming support to build the Keystone Pipeline because americans want jobs. And American Families deserve goodpaying jobs. And americans are tired, in addition, to bowing to mideast powers or to russian dictators about what our future is going to be. Americans are proud. We want to stand proud. And we believe the Keystone Pipeline is an important first step, its a signal, its a symbol that represents American Energy power. Its a symbol moving past gridlock. It is a deliverable on promises that we have all made. Yes, we will Work Together, yes, but that will start later; yes, we will Work Together but it will be next year. Yes, we will Work Together but it will be in the spring. Yes, well Work Together but we cant passkey stone unless we pass pass keystone unless we pass these 10 other things. Theres always going to be tomorrow. Theres always going to be 10 other things. Lets act today, tomorrow. We can do this. Si suepeda we can do this. We can pass the Keystone Pipeline and answer the frustrations of the American People so they could rest next week and say, oh, my gosh, the senators of the United States of america have ears and they have brains and they have hearts and they heard what we said and we can do this. And we have a bill that is on the calendar. I have also passed a similar bill through my committee, but im not even asking to pass the bill i passed through my committee, which i think is slightly better than the one on the calendar. But we can all compromise here. Im also a cosponsor of the bill, the lead sponsor of the bill thats on the senate calendar. It doesnt have to go through a committee. It basically technically alrea already, you know, has. It is ready for a vote. And we have the 60 votes to pass over in the house, bill cassidy is the sponsor of legislation similar to that of senator landrieus. He is her challenger. That raises head off to a runoff in december after neither of the two reached 50 of the vote. Here is bill cassidy on the house floor talking about his legislation. Him five minutes. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from louisiana is recognized for five minutes. Mr. Cassidy thank you, mr. Speaker. It has been over six years since backers of the keystone x. L. Pipeline first submitted an application to the u. S. State department on september 19, 2008, to build this Energy Infrastructure project and bring jobs and Greater Energy security to america. Now, building the keystone x. L. Pipeline would create more than 40,000 average annual jobs, over a one to twoyear construction period, putting 2 billion into workers and their families pockets and giving a you muchneeded boost giving a muchneeded boost to the American Construction sector. In addition, tens of thousands of jobs would be supported throughout the supply chain. Jobs for manufactures that make the steel pipes, the valves, pumps, control and safety devices, required for major pipelines. In addition to my home state of louisiana, manufactures in georgia, West Virginia, throughout the country, would benefit from the construction of this infrastructure project. Now, economists have found that the pipeline would create 20,000 manufacturing jobs, an additional 118,000 spinoff jobs, including jobs within the u. S. Refinery and petro chemical facilities. This would employ and improve the jobs for americans who right now are struggling. Refiners in louisiana and along the gulf coast would benefit from a reliable supply of heavy crude transported through the keystone x. L. Pipeline. These petro chemical plants employ families that are right now having the hardest time in this economy, this gives them those better jobs. The final state Department Review found the pipeline would create over 40,000 jobs without significant environmental impact. Now, note, Canadas Oil Sands are going to be developed with or without this pipeline. The canadian government is already on record stating that oil sands derive from crude oil derived from crude oil will be exported to overseas markets like china, it will be shipped on rail and in oil tankers, which may actually increase Greenhouse Gas emissions versus transportation to the u. S. By pipeline. Now, the case for proving the keystone x. L. Pipeline is clear and obvious. So why havent the president approved it . Hasnt the president approved it . And why up to this point hasnt senator reid allowed a vote on approving keystone x. L. . If there was ever legislation that should not be difficult to get through the senate, it is the keystone x. L. Pipeline. By the way, pew Research Reports that over 60 of americans support it, as do major labor unions, every state along the pipelines route, and the majority of the house of representatives on eight separate occasions voting on similar bills in the affirmative. So here we are on the ninth attempt. It has been 539 days, a year and half, since the house first sent a keystone approval bill to the senate in this congress. That legislation could have been considered, amended, passed or completely replaced, yet the bills collected dust on senator reids desk. The bill considered today that i introduced is the language asked for by the senate. So, we are going to make it as easy as possible for the senate to finally get a bill to the president s desk that approves this long overdue keystone x. L. Pipeline. Thanks to the transportation and infrastructure committee, the energy and commerce committee, the Natural Resources committee, the rules committee, and house leadership for working with me to clear a path for this expedited consideration. Upon passage of this bill in the house, it will go to the senate for approval, then to the president where i hope he signs h. R. 5682 into law. I want to thank chairmans upton, whitfield, shuster, sessions and hastings for this work on this important legislation. I particularly want to thank the American People for sending a signal in this last election that they want we in washington, d. C. , to Work Together to accomplish commonsense legislation that will create jobs for families which are struggling now, but because of legislation like this, will have more opportunity and a better future. This is a perfect example of what the American People have asked us to do. I encourage my colleagues to join me in approving the keystone x. L. Pipeline, to finally provide 40,000 promised jobs to the representative cassidys bill passed on friday with a vote of 252161. It now goes to the senate, which is expected to begin consideration of senator landrieus bill on tuesday. For more on that another agenda items in both chambers of commerce, we talked to a congressional reporter. The house and senate back in session before the ticket thanksgiving break. Joining us to talk about that we can what we can expect to see is the chief Congressional Correspondent for the washington examiner. Lets start off in the senate and the plan to take up a bill on tuesday on the keystone xl pipeline, six hours of debate scheduled for that vote. Landrieus bill. The democrat from louisiana. Why are they taking this up now . How does this tie into her Reelection Campaign and the runoff . There is a battle right now between to sitting lawmakers, one in the house and one in the senate. One is a republican, bill cassidy. In the senate, mary landrieu, the democrat. Prevailingot a candidate with 50 of the vote. That means that there has to be a runoff election. That is scheduled for december 6. Lawmakersa trying to show voters what influence they have on capitol hill. The best way to do that for either of them is to push a vote on the keystone xl project. That is a pipeline from the oilsands in canada that will eventually extend all the way to the gold coast where there are Oil Refineries in louisiana. It promises drop growth, a boost to the economy, and the louisiana is a big Oil Producing refining state. Both lawmakers want to look like they are the ones to bring this eastern xl project to life. Today in the house, there was a vote on the it keystone project. They voted overwhelmingly, mostly with republican support, to greenlight the keystone xl project, which president obama has put on hold, awaiting further analysis for safety and environment to impact. In the senate next week, we will see the same thing happened. This time with a bill sponsored by mary landrieu, the democrat. The outcome is slightly less certain. By senate is still governed democrats. They hold the gavel until the end of the year. It is unclear whether they will get 60 votes needed to pass keystone. There have been conflicting have thesome say they votes, some say they are one vote shy. It is possible that it will pass. Thatroblem there is president obama has said that he is not ready to greenlight this project for a variety of reasons. Know is stilll is still up in the air. It is about a political battle over the seed in the louisiana. Democrats want to hang onto that seat if they can. Republicans are really hoping to pick up yet another siege to add to their new majority. Interesting vote that brings together both politics and policy, and the more exciting of the two votes will be next week in the senate. As you mention, her rival in that runoff election, he has been spearheading this in the house. He was successful. He was. Ability andted his desire to have an impact on capitol hill throughout his campaign. Senator to show landrieu as someone who was ineffective, even though she was chairwoman of the Energy Committee in the senate. It is a top position to be in for a democrat from louisiana because democrats often push for green energy jobs. Louisiana is an oil state. Mary landrieu has been walking that fine line politically throughout her career here in congress. Is is also from a state that considered a red state, it does elect democrats. She is a bit of an endangered species. I think she is down doubledigits in the latest polls. It is an up hill battle for her to hold onto her seat. Todays vote is just another how he is his cap as gaining on her politically. Lets turn to another vote on tuesday. That is the nsa Surveillance Programs. Senator leahy on the judiciary beingtee tweeted about poised to take up this usa freedom act. What would this bill do . How likely is it to pass . It is an interesting piece of legislation with a bit of an uncertain future in congress. There are many people who supported. You have republicans and democrats behind this. It would in all collection of data by the government, which has been so controversial, and it would turn it in to a targeted Surveillance Program with extra safeguards in place to protect the public from unwarranted surveillance by the federal government. Thee are people who oppose bill because they fear it may make it too difficult for our Intelligence Community to prevent and know about domestic terrorism. In the senate, there are a lot of people who support this legislation. Whether it would indepth going to the house before the end of this congress is unknown. I think there are people that say the house can take it up because there are so many proponents on both sides of the aisle. The house version of similar legislation is a much more watereddown version, has fewer proponentsin it that of stopping the bulk Data Collection feel are necessary. Its not the same bill in the house in the senate. There would have to be a unification of those two pieces of legislation. There is not a lot of time for congress to work on this. They only have a few weeks left before the end of this congress, when they would have to bring these two bills from scratch. Momentumdefinitely behind the nsa bill and the senate, which came by surprise. People were not expecting majority leader reid to bring this up. Are advocates on the bus side, the house in the senate, for getting this done by the end of the year. It is something everyone will be closely watching. Something that is not a surprise, president obama saying that he will really be pushing for immigration changes. He could take executive action as early as next week. You tweeted about speaker boehners response to that, saying all the options are on the table for fighting obamas onn on executive actions deportations, but no Government Shutdown if president obama does take action on immigration. What can of action do you think congress will take . There are some who want to include a provision an egg in a spending bill. I move like that might get upset. On i know Republican Leaders want to avoid the gridlock that we saw in october 2013 over the Health Care Bill and government funding. That led to a 16 day Government Shutdown. I know both the house in the senate, Republican Leaders are saying no to the can of option. In some ways, that limits what they can do. They are talking about taking the president to court over this. T is a much more protected protracted exercise. They basically are facing a bit of a dilemma right now and how they want to handle this. There is a huge outstanding question on when exactly the president will act. The government funding bill that the Congress Needs to take up expires on december 11. If the president waits until after they pass something, then that may buy them some time to deal with this issue. I think the president right now is weighing whether to act next week or whether to wait until later in december, which would still fulfill his promise of taking action before the end of the year. You can follow susan via twitter. You can also follow her on the examiners website. Thank you for joining us. You bet it the student can video competition is underway, open to all middle and High School Students to create a 57 minute documentary on the theme the three branches in you. Showing how policy, law, or action by the federal government has affected you or your community. There are 200 cash prizes for students and teachers, totaling 100,000 paid for a list of rules and how to get started, go to student can. Org. Members of the 114 congress began orientation this past week in washington. Pose with some of the incoming house members in a ceremonial swearingin on capitol hill. If you want to stand right here. Here we go. Thank you very much. All right. [indiscernible] congratulations. The real thing happen soon. How are you . Hi. High. How are you . It never stops. How are you . Congratulations. Right on the other side here. Come on. Lefthand here. Right hand up. Look it made. We will see you outside in a second. Ok. Nice to meet you. How are you . Thank you. How are you. This is my wife. Lefthand here. Look toward may. Look toward me. Incoming Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell met with senators elected this past week. He pose with them for pictures and spoke briefly with reporters. [inaudible] just a minute here. Ok. Ready . Lets go ahead. This is a lot happier occasion. The president , secretary treasurer [laughter] having acited about great new bunch here. We hope they will be joining dan sullivan and bill cassidy directly. We are here to make the place function again. We want to make progress for the American People. You said youre ready to work with the president. The problem is the president continues that he has no intention of moving towards the middle. I was particularly distressed by the deal. The one that he reached with the chinese on his current trip. The agreement requires the chinese to do nothing for 16 years. While these carbon emission accreting havoc in my state another states around the country. I would welcome the president moving to the middle. I hope he can do some business on trade and tax reform. First indications of not been helpful. Are you going to try to roll back . I will be discussing that with our colleagues. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Senator, what about using executive action . Mic. Om how does it feel to be here . [laughter] thank you very much. Lets go. Thank you. Joined on the phone now by candace miller, who chairs the Congressional Committee that is charged with overseeing freshman orientation this week and next. Chairwoman miller, a question on who gets invited to orientation. Oute are a handful of races there yet to be called a week after election day. Yes, that is true. They are quickly being called
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