THE DAILY WHIP: FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 2015

**Members are advised that following “One Minutes”, at approximately 9:10 a.m., the House will begin the Reading of the Constitution by Members. The GOP Leadership has announced that the reading will alternate between Democrats and Republicans and will be first-come, first-serve. Members are encouraged to come to the Floor starting at 9:00 a.m. if they would like to read part of the Constitution. 

H.R. 3 – Keystone XL Pipeline Act (Rep. Cramer – Transportation and Infrastructure) (One Hour of Debate). This bill would declare TransCanada’s revised proposal for the Keystone XL pipeline to be Congressionally approved and would allow construction of the pipeline across the U.S.- Canadian border to proceed. It would also prospectively approve operation and maintenance of the project as well as any subsequent revisions to the pipeline’s route by the State of Nebraska. The pipeline would transport oil sands crude from Canada and shale oil produced in North Dakota and Montana to Gulf Coast refineries.

Under the bill, the final supplemental environmental impact statement (FSEIS) issued in January 2014 by the State Department would be deemed sufficient to satisfy all requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act. The bill also consolidates judicial review of the pipeline project, making the DC Circuit Court of Appeals the court of original jurisdiction for legal actions taken to challenge the construction of the pipeline under Federal law. Lastly, the bill includes a savings clause that seeks to assure private property owners whose land may need to be accessed in order to construct the pipeline that the bill does not override other federal, state or local laws related to pipeline siting.

The Rule, which was adopted yesterday, provides for a closed Rule and one hour of debate.

Bill Text for H.R. 3:
PDF Version