View From the Capitol - Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler's Newsletter for the Week of November 10-14, 2014
Good Day,
Congress returned to Washington this week to begin the “lame duck” session of Congress which provides current Members with the chance to finish work on important pieces of legislation and other bills that must be completed by the end of the year.
The House’s first major order of business was to pass a bill approving construction of the job-creating Keystone XL pipeline. This will spur local economies from North Dakota to Texas while creating approximately 20,000 jobs as American workers construct a pipeline that will provide a steady flow of oil from Canada, moving up to 830,000 barrels each day.
It has been several years since the backers of the pipeline first submitted an application to the U.S. State Department to build this project. An extensive environmental review was completed in August of 2011, demonstrating there would be limited adverse environmental impacts during construction and operation. It is time for the Obama Administration to reject the environmental extremists and to give the green light to this common sense, bipartisan project that is an integral part of any ‘all-of-the-above’ energy policy.
Having passed the House, the Keystone XL legislation now moves to the Senate for its consideration.
In other news, prior to returning to Washington, I had an opportunity to visit one of our district’s most unique operations – Zenith Aircraft Company in Mexico – which designs kit aircraft. A kit aircraft is defined by the Federal Aviation Administration as “experimental,” to allow aircraft manufacturers to perform tests on their own prototype aircraft. The definition now extends to amateur-built aircraft, allowing the kit buyer to be the builder of his or her own aircraft.
Since it was founded in 1974, Zenith has sold and delivered more than 2,000 kits in the United States and throughout the world. I am always happy to see Fourth Congressional District businesses thriving in the marketplace. Zenith succeeds because it has found a need and is filling it.
Finally, America observed Veterans Day this week, paying tribute to our men and women in uniform who have sacrificed to keep us free. I was privileged to have attended the Macks Creek R-V School District Veterans Day ceremony honoring those who so bravely served this country. Students participated in the event, performing a variety of patriotic songs, while posters made by the students, thanking our veterans, adorned the gymnasium. Thirty-two veterans from the area were on hand for the ceremony. I was honored to have been asked to present each of them with a certificate of appreciation and a commemorative coin from the U.S. House of Representatives.
As the daughter of an Army Reservist, I learned the importance of this day early on in life. Now, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, my respect and admiration for the defenders of our freedoms grow every day. The security we enjoy today is the result of the selflessness of the patriots who have given up so much on our behalf. As America now faces threats from terrorists and rogue nations, we again extend our gratitude to all the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces, and their families who have made and continue to make sacrifices of their own. It was the very least we could do on Veterans Day to say ‘thank you’ to our American heroes.
Have a great week.
Vicky