Bill Text: IL HR0243 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urges the President of the United States and his administration to speed up the process of granting final permits to enable construction to begin on the completion of the Keystone XL pipeline network for reasons of consumer protection and national security.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 41-2)

Status: (Passed) 2015-04-29 - Resolution Adopted [HR0243 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2015-HR0243-Introduced.html

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HR0243 LRB099 11183 MST 31692 r
HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The United States relies on gasoline, diesel, and
jet fuel despite the recent focus on renewable and alternative
sources of energy, and it will continue to rely on those fuels
for many years; and
WHEREAS, In order to fuel our economy, the United States
will need more oil and natural gas while also requiring
additional alternative energy sources; and
WHEREAS, The United States currently depends on foreign
imports for more than half of its petroleum usage, and it is
the largest consumer of petroleum in the world; U.S. dependence
on overseas oil has created geopolitical relationships with
potentially damaging consequences for our national security;
and
WHEREAS, Oil deposits in the Bakken Reserves of Montana,
North Dakota, and South Dakota are an increasingly important
crude oil resource; it contains an estimated 11 billion barrels
of recoverable crude oil and there is not enough pipeline
capacity for crude oil supplies from Montana, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Oklahoma, and Texas to reach American refineries;
and

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WHEREAS, Canadian oil reserves contain an estimated 173
billion barrels of recoverable oil, and Canada is the single
largest supplier of oil to the United States at 2.62 million
barrels per day; Canada has the capacity to significantly
increase that rate; and
WHEREAS, The Keystone XL pipeline will, when completed,
carry 700,000 barrels of North American crude oil to American
refineries in the Gulf Coast region; and
WHEREAS, Construction of the project will create 120,000
jobs nationwide, including 20,000 in construction and
manufacturing, create $20 billion in economic growth, and
generate millions of dollars' worth of government receipts; and
WHEREAS, A recent study by the U.S. Department of Energy
found that increasing delivery of crude oil from Montana, North
Dakota, South Dakota, and Alberta, as well as Texas and
Oklahoma to American refineries has the potential to
substantially reduce our country's dependence on sources
outside of North America; and
WHEREAS, Canada sends more than 99% of its oil exports to
the United States, the bulk of which goes to Midwestern
refineries; oil companies are investing huge sums to expand and
upgrade refineries in the Midwest and elsewhere to make

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gasoline and other refined products from Canadian oil derived
from oil sands; the expansion and upgrade projects will create
many new construction jobs over the next 5 years and
substantially add to the gross product of Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Ninety percent of the money used to buy Canadian
oil will likely later be spent directly on U.S. goods and
services in contrast with increasing the trade relationship
with unstable regions; supporting the continued shift towards
reliable and secure sources of North American oil is of vital
interest to the United States and the State of Illinois;
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
commend the members of Congress of the United States who have
called for the expansion and completion of the Keystone XL
pipeline system; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we call upon the President of the United
States and his administration to speed up the process of
granting final permits to enable construction to begin on the
completion of the Keystone XL pipeline network for reasons of
consumer protection and national security; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we request that the United States Department

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of Defense make a public statement as to the desirability of
maximizing the production of fossil fuels within the boundaries
of North America as part of our overall worldwide strategic
position in relations to nations that do not wish well to the
United States; and be it further
RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be sent
to members of the Illinois congressional delegation, the
President of the United States, the United States Secretary of
Defense, the United States Secretary of the Interior, the
United States Secretary of Energy, and the Administrator of the
United States Environmental Protection Agency.