Just two weeks after a trio of highly-influential U.S. politicians toured industrial operations in northern Alberta, there is evidence the trip was in the province's favour: two of the visiting senators just introduced a new bill that could ease trade relations.

Republicans Lindsey Graham, from South Carolina, and Saxby Chambliss, from Georgia, introduced the Oilsands Energy Security Act on Wednesday. If passed, it would repeal section 526 of the 2007 U.S. energy law – a clause prevents federal agencies from purchasing alternative fuel sources that have higher greenhouse-gas emissions than conventional oil-based fuels.

The proposed legislation comes after the Sierra Club and another environmental group launched lawsuits against the Pentagon for violating that condition by purchasing fuels from Alberta's oilsands.

Since the amendment would likely cripple their case, local environmentalists say they plan to lobby other politicians to vote it down.

"The remainder of the senators and congress would do the ethical thing and not go further with removing that part of the bill," said Bryn MacDonald with the Sierra Club.

The proposal comes after Graham and Chambliss, along with Democrat senator Kay Hagan from North Carolina, embarked on both an aerial and ground tour of operations near Fort McMurray on September 17th, with Premier Stelmach serving as their guide.

All three are members of the U.S. Armed Services Committee, which controls where the country's military buys its petroleum.

During their visit, the senators told CTV News they were impressed by Alberta's reclamation efforts and promised to advocate more trade with Canada once they returned to Washington. The trio said it's important for the U.S. to sever its dependence on Mideast oil, which they worry helps fund terrorism.

"It's a national treasure for Canada and a blessing for the United States that so much oil can be extracted from a good neighbour - an ally," said Graham after his tour.

"Anything we can do on our end to make the oilsands project successful we will, as far as I'm concerned [it's] full steam ahead."

Gary Mar, who is Alberta's representative in Washington, says Canadian oil was never the target of section 526 and the proposed legislation highlights that fact.

"The U.S. Congress to say, ‘no our intention was not for it to affect the Alberta oilsands and we are going to make that clear now,' it's perfectly within [their] jurisdiction."

Mar says he will campaign on behalf of Alberta's oil industry as the bill makes its way through Capitol Hill.

With Files from Kevin Armstrong