Senate rejects move to fast-track Keystone
Democratic leadership squeaked out a 56-42 vote. | John Shinkle/POLITICO
By ERICA MARTINSON | 3/8/12 4:41 PM EST
The Senate on Thursday rejected an attempt to fast-track the Keystone XL pipeline — barely.
The White House and Democratic leadership squeaked out a 56-42 vote on an amendment to the Senate’s highway bill, winning only because 60 votes were needed for passage.
Continue Reading Text Size
-+reset Listen President Barack Obama had personally lobbied Democrats with phone calls urging them to oppose the measure, as Republicans continue to push the pipeline as a job-creating project needed in these days of high gasoline prices.
(Also on POLITICO: Members of Congress: This job sucks)
Eleven Democratic senators crossed party lines to support the amendment: Max Baucus of Montana, Mark Begich of Alaska, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Jon Tester of Montana, and Jim Webb of Virginia.
No Republicans opposed the measure, but two senators — Mark Kirk of Illinois and John Thune of South Dakota were absent.
The amendment, proposed by Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) would have approved the pipeline despite an undetermined final route through Nebraska, cutting out the State Department approval normally required for an international pipeline.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said the administration’s message is clear that it wants TransCanada to submit a proposal for a new route in Nebraska. Congress should “not waste its time with ineffectual sham legislation that has no impact on the price of gas and is irresponsible because it … tries to legislate the approval of a pipeline for which there is not even a route,” Carney said earlier Thursday.
Carney added: “We’ll keep making that point in phone calls, from the podium, maybe with a Cessna overhead."
Adam Snider contributed to this report.
Read more:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/73795.html#ixzz1oZIPK2iX