Democrats Put Politics Before Energy Security with Anti-DAPL Brief

Three dozen House and Senate Democrats today filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to halt operations of the Dakota Access crude oil pipeline after a federal judge ruled in March the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must conduct additional environmental review on the pipeline. The brief comes after a series of filings from federal regulators, the state of North Dakota, more than a dozen attorneys general, and industry groups calling for the pipeline to remain operational while additional review is performed.

Below is a statement that can be attributed to me, Craig Stevens, spokesman for the GAIN Coalition:

“It’s truly unfortunate that our nation’s energy security and the good-paying Union jobs supported by the energy sector have become a partisan issue in this country. Specifically, the amicus brief filed today by Congressional Democrats is deeply concerning. The suspension of DAPL operations would limit domestic energy development and gamble America’s energy security when we need it most. Elected officials continue to prioritize partisan politics and an ideological opposition to the use of our nation’s natural resources rather than acting in the best interest of energy consumers – their constituents.

“The Dakota Access Pipeline is a critical component of our nation’s energy infrastructure, having safely operated without incident for nearly three years. Both state and federal regulators performed extensive reviews of the project before ultimately granting the necessary permits and approval before the line was constructed and put into service. Further, pipelines have proven to be the safest, most efficient, and most environmentally conscious method of delivering the natural gas and crude oil virtually every single American relies on each day.”

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