WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) offered an amendment to the Keystone XL pipeline bill that prohibits TransCanada from using eminent domain proceedings to seize private property in order to build the pipeline. Republicans have insisted on similar language prohibiting the use of eminent domain when establishing national parks and Sens. Menendez and Cantwell now argue that eminent domain not be used to benefit private foreign interests.

“I call on my colleagues to be consistent, stand on principle and logic, protect land owners, and support this amendment to protect private property from seizure by foreign corporations,” said Sen. Menendez. “If our Republican colleagues believe eminent domain cannot be used on a national park to conserve our national treasures and preserve America’s beauty for future generations – then surely it should not be used to benefit the interest of a foreign-owned oil company seeking to ship its product around the world.”

“This amendment is about protecting Americans’ private property,” Sen. Cantwell said. “TransCanada should play by the rules, and acquire its right of way from willing sellers – not from unwilling victims. This amendment will protect the dozens of landowners in Nebraska whose property is under threat from TransCanada Corporation.”

The Senators also pointed to a letter Nebraska landowners who live on the proposed route of the pipeline sent to Senate Leader Mitch McConnell urging him to support the eminent domain amendment and to “make it clear TransCanada cannot take land from un-willing sellers.”

The amendment creates a new “Private Property Protection” that would prevent a foreign company from seizing private property to build the Keystone Pipeline unless the landowner is willing to sell. The full text of this amendment can be downloaded here.

In addition to the eminent domain amendment, Senator Menendez offered the following amendments to the Keystone XL pipeline bill:

  • Menendez-Gillibrand Oil Spill Liability Amendment. This amendment requires Big Oil to pay the full costs for any offshore or onshore oil spill – instead of passing those costs along to taxpayers. (Download full amendment text here.)
  • Close Big Oil Tax Loopholes Version 1. This amendment ends tax subsidies for the five largest oil companies, which are some of the most profitable corporations in the world. The savings from the bill would go to reducing the deficit. (Download full amendment text here.)
  • Close Big Oil Tax Loopholes Version 2. This amendment also ends tax subsidies for the five largest oil companies, which are some of the most profitable corporations in the world. The savings from the bill would go to supporting tax incentives for clean, renewable sources of energy including wind and solar. (Download full amendment text here.)
  • Infrastructure Investment Version 1. This amendment expresses the Sense of the Congress that increased federal infrastructure investment would create millions of jobs, help businesses grow, reduce traffic congestion, and save lives. (Download full amendment text here.)
  • Infrastructure Investment Version 2. This amendment also expresses the Sense of the Congress that increased federal infrastructure investment is essential to the U.S. economy and would create jobs – and additionally includes several statistics to prove these points. (Download full amendment text here.)
  • U.S. Canada Emissions goals. This amendment expresses the Sense of the Congress that the governments of the U.S. and Canada should continue working toward achieving their shared emission reduction goals (which is approximately 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020), and that the government of Canada should join the U.S. goal of reducing emissions 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. (Download full amendment text here.)

###