U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby spoke to a group of citizens Monday in Selma, addressing topics like immigration, the country’s debt and the Keystone Pipeline.

“It’s great to be here in Selma. So many of you I’ve known over the years,” Shelby said. “We don’t see each other every day. It’s good just to be with you.”

Shelby spoke during lunch at the Larry D. Striplin Jr. Performing Arts Center. The event was organized by the Selma-Dallas County Chamber of Commerce.

Early in his remarks, Shelby addressed the Keystone Pipeline, which has been approved this year by the U.S. House and Senate. The project is expected to be vetoed by President Barack Obama.

“It’s supply and demand. We all want clean water and air. We live on this planet — don’t kid yourself,” Shelby said. “But the Keystone Pipeline would connect with other pipelines to bring among other things a lot of oil from Canada.”

Shelby said the economics and job creation make the project a no-brainer.

“They are going to either sell that oil to us or sell it to China. I vote to build that pipeline,” Shelby said. “I hope with it being immediate jobs — it just makes a lot of economic sense.”

Shelby also spoke about illegal immigration. He said he would support a Senate vote to try to undo Obama’s executive order on immigration last year.

But the majority of his time was spent talking about the country’s debt and entitlement programs.

“The young people of America ought to be in the street, peacefully I hope, marching saying, “Don’t do this to us. Don’t put this debt on us. Don’t destroy our future,” Shelby said. “I’m afraid we might not pay it off. I’m afraid they’ll just print the money. [If] inflation takes off, you’ll feel it.”

For years, Shelby has proposed a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

“Just like the city of Selma, Dallas County, the state of Alabama and every state in the Union has except for the federal government,” he said. “We can’t borrow our way to prosperity.”