ranchers and farmers like randy thompson will be forced to live with a tar sands oil pipeline running through their property. that may jeopardize their safety, health, livelihood with a single leak. and it's not unexpected that there might be leaks because existing pipelines that they already have has already had many leaks in a very short period of time. this amendment should receive bipartisan support. in the past, republican members voiced great concern about the use of eminent domain to cease private property rights as we saw in the debate of the property protection act of 2005. speaker boehner stated then that allowing someone's property to be taken "represents a complete departure from the very core value upon which america was founded. your natural human right to your property." i hope my republican colleagues support the private property rights hold even when it's an oil company rather than a democratically elected local government that seeks to use eminent domain. i think this bill is an insult to american citizens who oppose the keystone tar sands pipeline and expects their

ranchers and farmers like randy thompson will be forced to live with the tar sands oil pipeline runninghrough the property. that may jeopardize their safety, their health, their livelihood. with a single leak. it's not unexpected that there might be leaks because existing pipeline that they already have has already had many leaks in a very short period of time. this amendment should receive bipartisan support. in the past, republicans have voiced great concern about the use of eminent domain to seize private property rights. as we saw in the debate on the private property right protection act of 2005. speaker boehner stated in that allowing someone's property to be taken quote represents a complete departure from the very core value upon which america was founded. your natural human rights to your property, end quote. i hope my republican colleagues support the private property rights, even when it's an oil company, rather than a democratically elected noble government that seeks to use eminent domain. i think this bill was an insult to american citizens who oppose the keystone tar sand

my name is randy thompson, i'm from nebraska. i'm here as a nebraska citizen and landowner. i'd like to thank the chairman and the committee for the opportunity to be here today. i'd like to start my testimony today by thanking president obama for making the right decision by denying the permit for the keystone xl pipeline. i'm proud to think that the voices of nebraska and had an impact on his decision. those of us who live and work along the proposed half of this pipeline applaud him for placing our welfare ahead of the interests of big oil companies. as a lifelong nebraska and i can honestly tell you that i have never witnessed any project that is stir the emotions of my fellow nebraskans like the keystone xl has. contrary to what you may have heard from some of our elected officials, i can assure you that the dust has not settled in nebraska on this issue. transcanada has build a mountain of distrust among the ordinary citizens of our state, and even with their voluntary agreement to move the pipeline out of the sand hills, we remain very skeptical. many nebraskans, incl

last friday, randy thompson, and nebraska and a rancher, testified that in the heartland many of us feelval of this project would strip us of our individual property rights. transcanada is a foreign corporation. they have been trying to strong arm of american citizens along to propose the path of the pipeline. they're telling property owners, here is some money for the rights to go underneath your land. but if you do not accept this amount within a shortened time, we will initiate proceedings to condemn your land and take what we need through eminent domain. this is an imperious approach. it sounds unbelievable, but it is true. i don't know whether the state of nebraska give them this the 40 or not. -- i did not know if the state of nebraska gave them this authority or not. it would be interesting, but at the same time they're trying to figure out what the route will be in the state of nebraska. i have a copy of the letter that transcanada sent to mr. thompson on july 21, 2010, informing him the proposed path of the pipeline will cross his property. transcanada offers him money for easem

my office was in contact with a nebraska rancher named randy thompson who wrote me a letter february 9 and i want to read an excerpt for my colleagues to consider. i quote mr. thompson. he said dear congressman rush, i would like to express to you, sir, my concerns about the bill introduced to fast forward the permitting process for the keystone x.l. pipeline. it seems inherently wrong to me that a foreign corporation can force american citizens to forfeit their individual prolt rights through the use of eminent domain which is the per -- on a -- transcanada has for the time being suspended their property search in nebraska. but i can assure you they'll be back on our doorsteps with a vengeance was a permit has been granted. it appears to me that some members of congress are too eager to subsidize the big oil companies not only with our tax dollars but now with lan that belongs to american citizens. mr. speaker, we have a right to protect our citizens from being bullies into giving up their land against their will for a a -- for the gain of a private foreign company. we need to wipe