(AP and Post Staff) – Missouri Senator Roy Blunt is commending the president for signing an executive order paving the way for the Keystone XL Pipeline.

“I’m glad President Trump is wasting no time turning the page on eight years of the Obama administration’s failed energy policies,” Blunt said. “The Keystone XL pipeline will pump 800,000 barrels of oil a day to the United States, creating new American jobs and bolstering our energy security. This project has long had the backing of the majority of Americans. We finally have an administration that is putting their priorities ahead of a political agenda driven by far-left special interests. I’m encouraged by this first step toward an all-of-the-above energy policy, and I’ll continue backing energy projects that will create jobs and lower costs for families and small businesses in Missouri and across the nation.”

Tuesday, President Donald Trump took executive action to advance the construction of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL oil pipelines.

President Barack Obama killed the proposed Keystone XL pipeline in late 2015, saying it would hurt American efforts to reach a global climate change deal. The Army decided last year to explore alternate routes for the Dakota pipeline after the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and its supporters said the pipeline threatened drinking water and Native American cultural sites.

Law enforcement officers are gearing up in southern North Dakota for any protest activity in the wake of the signing.