Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Associated Press
WASHINGTON
Legislation approving construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline cleared an initial Senate hurdle Monday, a victory for newly empowered Republicans angling for a quick veto showdown with President Barack Obama.
The bipartisan 63-32 vote was three more than the 60 required, and well above the level the highly controversial measure ever gained in recent years when Democrats controlled the Senate.
The measure has sparked intense debate over the Canada-to-Texas pipeline’s potential impact on employment and the environment. While the project was proposed six years ago, the White House opposes the legislation as long as the administration is still conducting its formal review.
But with more than enough votes at their command, Republican and Democratic supporters said they hoped the legislation could win final approval and be sent to the White House by the end of next week.
“President Obama has every reason to sign the jobs and infrastructure bill that we will pass,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. He noted that the Nebraska Supreme Court had recently rejected a legal challenge brought by opponents, an obstacle the White House had cited.
Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, made the case for the opposition. He said that if constructed, the pipeline would carry “some of the dirtiest, most dangerous and most polluting oil in the world.” He called the project “anti-clear water, anti-clear air, anti-public health.”
The proposed 1,179-mile pipeline would begin in Canada, enter the United States at Morgan, Mont., cut across South Dakota and connect with an existing pipeline in Steele City, Neb., that in turn reaches refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast. It would carry an estimated 800,000 barrels of crude oil a day.
The White House has repeatedly threatened a veto.