WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today released the following statement in response to the decision by Enbridge U.S. to take the next steps toward construction of the Flanagan South oil pipeline:

"Missourians deserve to know we're doing everything possible to boost access to local oil reserves. Getting the Flanagan South pipeline one step closer to reality is another step forward in that direction. This project is good news for Missouri consumers and Missouri jobs."

McCaskill strongly supports construction of both the Flanagan South pipeline, as well as the larger Keystone XL pipeline, recently praising the decision to speed up approval of Keystone's southern leg.

A recent editorial in the Missourian newspaper in Washington, Mo., applauded McCaskill's work to reduce the price of fuel for Missouri families, saying she "isn't afraid to butt heads with her party and with President Barack Obama in backing her beliefs and what's good for her constituents... Of special note is that Sen. McCaskill spent the month of January visiting Missouri towns to hear from energy producers and consumers on how to keep energy prices affordable. She listened and acted on what is best for Missourians and the country."

McCaskill is urging specific actions be taken to combat rising gas prices:

• McCaskill has consistently fought to repeal the huge tax giveaways afforded to the biggest, most profitable oil companies-taxpayer-funded subsidies that boost oil company profits, not oil production, and reward those companies that are squeezing Missouri families with higher fuel prices.
• McCaskill called for the Federal Trade Commission to quickly complete an investigation she requested into whether gas prices are being kept artificially high by oil refineries.
• Citing provocative actions by the government of Iran that are driving up energy prices for American consumers, McCaskill has urged President Obama to release oil from the United States Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Partly citing her record on energy, the respected, nonpartisan news magazine National Journal recently ranked McCaskill exactly in the moderate middle of the U.S. Senate, #50 out of 100.

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