Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

GOP pushes for Keystone Pipeline in transportation bill

Details

  • Description

    Reps. Bill Shuster and Peter DeFazio weigh in

  • Duration 4:46
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

America's News HQ

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

-- -- house and the senate negotiators are working on a new highway bill that both Democrats and Republicans can agree -- But one potential sticking point is the Keystone Pipeline joining us now for a fair and balanced debate a Republican congressman.

Bill Shuster and democratic congressman Peter Defazio gentlemen thanks very much for joining us on this Sunday.

It -- professor -- your -- or.

I know your part of the conference committee which is negotiating this highway bill tell us what the status of the negotiations are at this point.

Well live got the staff working about three hours a day trying to resolve it down to issues that members will have to deal -- I think there's -- a lot of room for agreement here we needed a massive investment in our crumbling infrastructure 150000 bridges on the national system -- replacement or repair.

40% on national highways as systems pavement needs not just resurfacing.

But actually under layman.

And then a sixty billion dollar backlog -- -- transit systems was strong buy America requirements this'll create.

Hundreds of thousands millions of American jobs potentially if we can get a longer term bill.

You left out that the giant elephant in the living room there the Keystone Pipeline how about that.

That's not gonna be resolved by the conferees that's -- resolved by a speaker Boehner and with.

Leader Reid -- when we got to come out on the FAA bill over some labor provisions those are the two who wrote.

And decided the final settlement -- way this'll go will be working on other policy issues.

Congressman Shuster do you have any opinions about the XL pipeline -- -- XL pipeline in Mr.

Bush issued can become a part -- of the bill.

Yes I think he can become -- party it's it's gonna give us access to two more energy which we desperately need.

It's also gonna create jobs in -- that's something we also need desperately but Peter's right that -- transportation system we need to invest in it.

It is critical to our competitiveness around the world.

And it's a backbone of the US economy so I believe we are going to get something I'd like to see a longer term bill I think eighteen months is.

Is too short it's not gonna give the certainty that we need but that's what's on the table actual work towards with -- significant reforms that the Republicans have put forth in the house.

As well as the Keystone Pipeline as well in making sure we pay forward in a responsible way.

Confidence has -- the Keystone Pipeline has exposed a bit of a fracture within the Democratic Party between.

Environmentalists and union members who want to see all the jobs that it would bring.

Who's winning in that fight and how do you reconcile.

Well one thing the environmentalists and union members agree on -- the democratic conferees agree on is.

Support for opposition to this pipeline should not get in the way of a transportation bill like I say.

Decisions can be made outside the -- conference.

And whatever decision the leaders come to.

You know I think the conference will accept and we'll move forward because.

The underlying -- the investment transportation putting hundreds of thousands of people back to work.

That's the -- Let's let's talk a little bit more about the keystone park -- because I find it fascinating that this is it an issue which the State Department has the final say over.

Get your negotiating it.

In congress who has the final say.

Well if congress accent -- behind the final say and that's were trying to do.

We're trying to put that forward once again this administration the environmental.

In bar mouse in this country are stopping a key project in the Keystone Pipeline just the same as with transportation projects.

We want to streamline those so instead of -- taking fourteen to fifteen years stability.

Major highway system.

We wanna cut that in half and you're talking about saving billions and billions of dollars by cutting that timeline in half so just as with the transportation the Keystone Pipeline needs to move forward.

It will create energy for this country and -- create jobs.

And congressman Defazio any chance that we could see -- -- there -- pipeline before Election Day.

Or -- -- movement towards that.

Well apparently not because the states it'll take them six months to evaluate it but.

Beyond that you know there's a lot of agreement between Democrats Republicans on that streamlining Department of Transportation 106 functions.

And so -- some money down to six or doesn't depend -- whether it's a house of the senate position.

Environmental streamlining is in the senate bill and I think we can tweak that a bit make it work better.

So there's a lot of agreement about moving forward on a number of issues you know I know you really want to.

Say -- blooded you know what's the -- gonna do the conference is not gonna do.

The pipeline it's going to be done at the leadership level that's plain and simple words gonna happen just like the FAA bill.

-- it's nice to see that congress is making some some great progress here in a bipartisan way on that transportation -- We've wish you all the best of luck gentlemen thank you very much.

Load More