WASHINGTON, January 6, 2015 ─ API President and CEO Jack Gerard said today’s bipartisan Senate filing of a bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline shows Congress is following the will of the American people.

“Middle class jobs matter and lawmakers are acknowledging that in a big way by kicking off 2015 with KXL,” said Gerard. “Forty-two thousand good paying American jobs are at stake and our nation needs to build critical energy infrastructure now for the energy demands of the future.

“We are confident a Keystone XL bill will be sent to the president’s desk and we urge him to finally say yes to this job creating project.”

API thanked the bipartisan leaders in both chambers of Congress for their steadfast leadership in advancing this legislation.

API is the only national trade association representing all facets of the oil and natural gas industry, which supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy. API’s more than 625 members include large integrated companies, as well as exploration and production, refining, marketing, pipeline, and marine businesses, and service and supply firms. They provide most of the nation’s energy and are backed by a growing grassroots movement of more than 25 million Americans.