Statement From Gov. Daugaard On Keystone XL

PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard issued the following statement today in response to President Obama’s rejection of the Keystone XL Pipeline:

“I’m disappointed in President Obama’s rejection of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Oil will still be produced in Alberta, Canada, and shipped by rail or piped elsewhere. By halting the Keystone Pipeline the President is eliminating an opportunity for America to be more reliant on trusted North American friends and less reliant on oil producers from other places – many of whom do not respect nor share our values.”

Rounds Statement on President’s Rejection of Keystone XL Pipeline

PIERRE—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement on President Obama’s decision to reject the Keystone XL pipeline:

“This decision is no surprise,” said Rounds. “While disappointing, this underscores the need for Congress to take affirmative action to see that this project is allowed to move forward. The Keystone XL pipeline would bring millions of dollars of tax revenue to local units of government in South Dakota. It would also ease the congestion on our rail system allowing us to move our crops to market in a more timely and efficient manner.”

The Senate voted on legislation earlier this year to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. It passed the Senate 62-36 before being vetoed by the President.

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Thune Statement on Obama Administration’s Rejection of Keystone XL Pipeline
“I would say that I’m surprised, but with President Obama’s commitment to appeasing the far-left environmental wing of his political base, today’s decision is par for the course.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after the Obama administration announced it has denied TransCanada’s permit application to build the long-stalled Keystone XL pipeline:

“I would say that I’m surprised, but with President Obama’s commitment to appeasing the far-left environmental wing of his political base, today’s decision is par for the course,” said Thune. “The Obama administration has spent seven years delaying this common-sense project. It has reviewed thousands of public comments and completed five environmental impact statements – all of which found the pipeline would have no significant impact on the environment. The pipeline would immediately support thousands of shovel-ready jobs during construction, including 3,000-4,000 in South Dakota alone. The only explanation for today’s decision is that the administration has squeezed from this project’s unnecessary delay every last bit of political expediency that remained.”

Approving the Keystone XL pipeline was a priority for the Republican-led Senate. In January, more than 60 senators supported a bill that would have approved this project. After the bipartisan legislation cleared the House of Representatives, President Obama vetoed the bill.

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From Fox News:

President Obama announced Friday that he has rejected Canadian energy giant TransCanada’s application to build the Keystone XL pipeline, saying that the pipeline was not in the U.S. national interest.

“The State Department has decided the Keystone XL pipeline would not serve the interests of the United States. I agree with that decision,” Obama said at a White House press conference.

The announcement caps a 7-year saga that has become one of the biggest environmental flashpoints of Obama’s presidency. It comes just days after the State Department refused to agree to TransCanada’s request to suspend the review process on the controversial project, which has seen enormous opposition from environmental groups.

Read it all here as it develops.

My friend and State Representative Lance Russell has a reputation for not mincing many words when he gets his mind set to something.

And it would appear that continues to be the case as Representative Russell pens a letter to Dr. Melody Schopp, Secretary of the State Department of Education, as he asks her to step down from her position.

Lance concedes that he has no authority to make the request, but his “conscience and duties to the citizens dictate” that he make the request.

In a conversation this morning, I did point to Lance that Democrats seem to be supporting and cheering him on, but Lance wryly pointed out their fair weather friendliness as “they evaporate when he’s right on a lot of other issues.”

Congresswoman Kristi Noem endorsed Presidential Candidate Marco Rubio today. In a statement released by the Rubio Campaign, Kristi Noted:

“Marco Rubio represents the kind of next-generation conservative leader that puts our party in the best position to win back the White House next year. Marco stands out from his competitors in his ability to articulate a conservative vision for what kind of country we can become in this new American century. As the son of a bartender and a maid, he possesses a personal understanding of the challenges facing hardworking taxpayers in South Dakota and across the country, and he has conservative solutions to help address today’s most pressing problems. I’m proud to endorse Marco Rubio for President and I look forward to helping him win.” – Kristi Noem

Congresswoman Noem follows Mike Rounds in supporting Mike Huckabee, and several state legislators in supporting Jeb Bush.

One of the best free market economists in the country is going to be appearing at a dinner hosted by the Americans For Prosperity Foundation in Sioux Falls on Monday, November 16th.

Stephen Moore is the distinguished visiting fellow for the Project for Economic Growth at the Heritage Foundation.  He is also a contributing editor of the National Review, a Fox News contributor, the founder of the Club for Growth and the Free Enterprise Fund, a former member of the Wall Street Journal editorial review board, and the author of numerous books.

So, head over & register for the AFP Foundation event on November 16. You can click here for details and the registration link.

So far, it’s reported that they have more than 75 people registered. And why wouldn’t they? For $10 you get prime rib and a chance to hear one of the best free market economists in the country.

What else do you need in life?

From Argus Leader.com:

We don’t know who, but someone is going to get whacked!

Rounds Encourages South Dakotans
to Send Feedback on TPP

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today posted the full text of the just-released Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement on his website. South Dakotans interested in learning more about the proposed trade agreement are encouraged to review it and send their comments to Sen. Rounds.

“International trade plays an important role in American commerce,” said Rounds. “From higher wages for U.S. workers to supporting small businesses and agriculture, trade has a proven record of keeping our economy healthy and vibrant. However, we must make certain these agreements are fair and do not put hard-working South Dakota producers at a competitive disadvantage. The bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation passed earlier this year was an important first step in establishing clear guidelines for reviewing the TPP deal by enforcing transparency, maintaining Congress’ important role in the approval process and giving South Dakotans a voice in the final product. I look forward to reviewing the TPP agreement in the coming months and hearing from South Dakotans before it comes for a vote in the Senate.”

On November 5, 2015, the full text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement was made public. This text will be available for public comment for several months before Congress considers it for a vote.

The full text of the TPP agreement is available here.

South Dakotans can share their thoughts and concerns regarding specific sections of the agreement with Sen. Rounds by calling his Washington, D.C., or South Dakota offices, or by emailing him here.

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