TO THE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than three million businesses of every size, sector, and region, supports S. 1932, the “North American Energy Security Act of 2011,” and urges you to cosponsor this important legislation that would require the Department of State to make a decision on the federal permit for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline project within sixty days of enactment. The Keystone XL permit request has been under consideration by the Administration since 2008. The proposal has undergone extensive examination and a thorough and lengthy environmental review. The Administration’s recent decision to put off a decision on the permit delays the project’s benefits for American job seekers, the economy, and domestic energy security. The proposed 1,600-mile Keystone XL pipeline would deliver more than 500,000 barrels of oil per day from Alberta, Canada, through Cushing, Oklahoma, to Gulf Coast refineries. The $7 billion project is expected to create more than 20,000 jobs during the manufacturing and construction phases of the project. The pipeline would also reduce need for foreign oil imports from less stable regions of the world. In addition, Keystone XL would provide a much needed supply distribution infrastructure for American domestic energy producers in the Upper Northwest/Bakken region and in the Southwest. This legislation would maintain the President’s ability to decide whether the Keystone XL pipeline is in the national interest, and would ensure that the permit contains strong and specific environmental protection, yet would help avoid the continued delay of the Keystone XL pipeline project and its much needed benefits. The Chamber supports the “North American Energy Security Act” and urges you to cosponsor this legislation. Sincerely, R. Bruce Josten