House Passes Keystone Bill, Senate Comes Up Short
The U.S. Senate came up one vote short today on bill to approve construction of TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline. The U.S. House of Representatives approved an identical bill by a vote of 252-161 on Nov. 14.
Reports say prospects for Senate approval remain uncertain in the lame-duck session of Congress after an overwhelming Republican victory in the recent midterm elections. However, the Senate’s current makeup may not allow the bill to pass with a 60-vote majority to withstand filibuster. President Barack Obama also could veto the bills if they pass.
API president and CEO Jack Gerard commended the strong bipartisan House passage of H.R. 5682 to approve the final leg of the Keystone XL pipeline and urged the president to approve the final bill and thereby demonstrate his concern for U.S. job creation.
“The strong, bipartisan support for the Keystone XL pipeline demonstrates lawmakers from both parties in the House, as well as the Senate, are listening to the American people,” Gerard said. “A vote for [the pipeline] tells Americans their jobs matter, their futures matter and that our nation’s energy and national security are a clear priority.”
[Editor’s note: For more on this story, go here.]
Tags: Keystone XL, KXL, TransCanada, vote
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