Keystone XL Approval Bill Gets 44 U.S. Senators On Board

* Congress would approve Keystone under the Senate plan

* One Democratic senator on board; unclear how bill to move

By Roberta Rampton

WASHINGTON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - A group of 44 U.S. senators, all but one Republican, have signed on to proposed legislation that would authorize the Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL oil pipeline despite the refusal of President Barack Obama to advance the project.

Republican Senator John Hoeven is set to introduce the bill on Monday that, if passed into law, would allow work to begin immediately on all but the sensitive Nebraska portion of TransCanada's $7 billion controversial project.

It's not yet clear how the bill will advance in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia was the lone Democrat to sign on as a co-sponsor of the bill, but other Democratic senators have in the past expressed support for the project.

Obama put the pipeline on the backburner earlier in January, saying the administration needed more time to review the environmental impact in Nebraska, where the state government is evaluating a new route after rejecting an initial plan that sent the line through a sensitive aquifer region.

The bill, led by Hoeven, Richard Lugar and David Vitter, incorporates an environmental review done by the U.S. State Department, and allows Nebraska time to find a new route.

"It will create thousands of jobs, help control fuel prices at the pump and reduce our reliance on Middle East oil," Hoeven said in a statement.

Environmentalists pushed for Obama to block the pipeline because they believe oil sands crude is a bigger polluter than other grades of oil. They have also accused TransCanada and its supporters of inflating job creation numbers from the project.

Obama has not rejected the project altogether, and TransCanada has said it plans to apply for another presidential permit. But that process would stretch beyond the 2012 election.

The new Senate bill -- which would require Obama's signature to become law -- would bypass Obama and let instead Congress approve the project. A study by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said Congress has the constitutional right to legislate permits for cross-border pipelines.

The State Department has said authority for the pipeline should stay with the administration because of the foreign policy, economic, environmental and safety issues involved.

Lawmakers in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives also are considering legislation to advance the project.

House Speaker John Boehner said on Sunday that Keystone legislation could be included in a highway and infrastructure bill that Congress will consider in February. (Editing by Sandra Maler)

Comments

[Robert Lee Harrington]

11:58 AM on 02/06/2012

The Keystone XL Corporations Lining Speaker Boehner's Pockets

"... Boehner has been...pushing for the rapid construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would connect the oil sands of Alberta, Canada with refineries on the Gulf of Mexico...and in December he pushed a bill that unnecessarily coupled an extension of the payroll tax cut to a requirement that the president make a decision on the pipeline permit within 60 days, regardless of environmental concerns.

And it's no wonder that Speaker Boehner has latched onto the Keystone XL pipeline as a leadership priority. After all, Boehner has invested somewhere between $106,000 and $365,000 in companies that would benefit from the pipeline's swift approval...

... Boehner has also been profiting from a rash of political donations from these same companies he's invested in and others that would benefit tremendously from the Keystone XL project...Boehner has received tens of thousands of dollars — well into six figures — from companies like ConocoPhillips, Chevron, Marathon Oil, Koch Industries and more...

Surprisingly, this kind of financial influence is not illegal — but it certainly seems like a significant conflict of interest.

It's something to keep in mind when watching Boehner tout the project's inflated job-creation estimates or dismissing environmental concerns about the oil pipeline as "nonsense."

Who is the Speaker really looking out for?

http://politicalcorrection.org/blog/201201180005

[Lincolnian]

09:58 PM on 02/03/2012

This simplification is inaccurate.This isn’t about Environmentalists and Carbon. "All politics 'is local". While it is true this tarsands project threatens Internationally Endagered Whooping Cranes, migrating from the Tarsands of Alberta through Nebraska to the Gulf Coast, this is primarily about keeping Nebraska's Ogalala Aquifer clean and fresh. Nebraska already does it's bit for the nation; providing America with Ethanol, Corn, Wheat, Sorgum, Oats, Soy, Sunflower, Popcorn, Beef, Pork, Chicken, Turkey, and Lamb. Our drinking water is already endangered by poisonous farm chemicals. Whole towns have to haul water in because of this contamination. It's about keeping the irrigation water for the nations food and Sandhill Farmers and Ranchers, Lincolnites and Omahans drinking water from the aquifer safe. This project would provide a handful of permanent jobs. Job numbers given are for a hundred years. Transcanada stated they will ship the oil over seas from Texas where there are no U.S. taxes. They stated the price of oil will INCREASE in the U.S. Canada doesn't build their own refineries because there are pollution laws to protect Canadians. They say they'll ship it to China if we don't take it but truth be told the Canadians are fighting them on building a Tarsands Pipeline in Canada too. Nebraska already has one tarsands pipeline snuck in in 2007-8. It has leeked 91 times! Nebraskan's good nature was mistaken for stupidity. Cowboys and Indians are united on this one and loaded for bear. We don't want this pipeline anyway, anywhere, anyhow.

[vinny]

08:37 PM on 01/31/2012

obama and dems will delay approval until after election.

[soonerliberal]

07:20 PM on 01/31/2012

CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN EVERY FREAKIN' WEEK! I DO! ..AND, MY CONGRESSMAN IS THE TEADERP DEMI-GOD, OIL & GAS FAVORITE LITTLE H0E, JIM INHOFFE.

Don't use liberal talking points like the environment. Teaderps don't give two squirts of rat p... about the environment! (until, it directly affects them!)

Use THEIR supposed principles as an argument! The easiest one to use is the property rights issue.

TransCanada and the Canadian government, A FOREIGN POWER, are using eminent domain to literally SEIZE property from US citizens for this project. I can promise you, if the American people knew that, they would be WHOLEHEARTEDLY against this project. Notice the absolute silence in the media about it.

If your congressman is conservative, bash him over the head with the property rights issue regarding this pipeline.
I've called all of my government officials every week since Obama rejected the thing. From my Teaderp governor, Fallin to Coburn and Inhoff and Tom Cole my representative and even my state representative and Seantor.
NONE OF THEM HAVE ANSWERED ME ABOUT THE PROPERTY RIGHTS QUESTION.

Remember! The "constitution" was supposed to be a core conservative value. In this matter, sounds like the constiution got thrown in the garbage.

[soonerliberal]

07:10 PM on 01/31/2012

I live in Oil & Gas country, Oklahoma! When Chesapeake or Devon want to do something here, even though as a liberal, I am concerned about the environmental impact, I'm okay with it. Why?
THEY LIVE HERE! IT'S THEIR HOME! Their kids are going to live her, their grandkids are going to live here. THEY HAVE LITERAL "SKIN" IN THE GAME!

On the other hand, TransCanada...... That's why I hope that the Obama administration is not stupid enough to approve this w/o some sort of agreement between our two countries.

I'm certainly not holding out hope for the faci$t$ Teaderps.

[soonerliberal]

07:03 PM on 01/31/2012

I see a few PRO-XL people on here:

Here's a honest question.

Will we have some sort of agreement in place with the Canadian government that stipulates that in lieu of TransCanada corp not being able to meet it's obligations regarding this pipeline, the Canadian government will agree to provide the resources or will parts of this pipeline just become another superfund clean-up site charged to the US taxpayer?

It's called "Due Diligance"! Make the Canadian government sign some sort of agreement!

[reynoljh]

07:02 PM on 01/31/2012

The problem with a do-nothing Congress doing something is that it is almost certain that it will turn out to be a disaster.

[soonerliberal]

06:57 PM on 01/31/2012

Welcome to Teatopia!

Where, despite what the US CONSTITUTION says, United Sates property owners rights are only as good as our corporate masters allow them to be....

60 eminent domain cases regarding the XL pipeline!

The teaderps so blinded by their Obama Derangement Syndrome are violating their own SUPPOSED principles by assisting a FOREIGN POWER in the confiscation of US citizens property on US soil.

.....Astro-turf...just like we said!

[lambdin1]

06:35 PM on 01/31/2012

One Republican out and one Democrat in! Of couse the Democrat is from West Virginia. Coal country!! I wonder who is paying his salary?!? This is a move by Big Coal too. And you do not need tea leaves to understand it!

[lambdin1]

06:31 PM on 01/31/2012

Well if someone did not know the GOP/TP is for Big money and not at all interested in the American people, the do now! There is a reason that the GOP has not had controll of the House for 65 years and the Senate for 58 years since 1933; THEY CAN NOT GOVERN!!! They are all for the MONEY. They could care less for America or the enviorment! Remember this when you vote. If you like this sort of treatment by your elected officials then... Go to Canada! Oh wait, they do not want the tar sands crossing their country either!!!!!

[campcranston]

01:06 PM on 01/31/2012

People we have to start acting in our own self interest and demand our legislators shoot this proposal down. We're gambling American land and drinking water, and the only one it's going to pay off to is Canada. What happened to good old fashioned American ingenuity, self reliance, and not just being landlords to this dangerous pipeline.

[Subsoil73]

03:26 PM on 01/31/2012

So if the oil was in Montana instead of Canada, would you be okay with the pipeline?

And if you don't want a pipeline, would you support a new refinery in North Dakota?

If we don't get this oil, China or some other country will.

[campcranston]

03:38 PM on 01/31/2012

My point is that Canada owns the oil, the pipeline, the materials. All we're doing is renting out our precious resources for another country's payoff, which seems a little ridiculous.

Chances are China is going to get the oil anyways.

[Robert Fanney]

01:03 PM on 01/31/2012

The oil and gas special interests are very powerful. They have a lot of money to spend and they own the republican party lock, stock, and barrel. They are even able to get democrats to bend in certain instances. So this is going to be one hell of a fight, mostly on political lines with a few democratic defectors. It will also be an issue that republicans attempt to use to drive a wedge through the democratic party. But we do not need to divide over this. There is far more jobs potential in alternative energy than there will ever be in fossil fuels. What we are fighting over, instead, is energy systems of the future and the dirty, dangerous, and depleting energy systems of the past.

[Wanderland]

09:50 AM on 01/31/2012

Correct me if I'm wrong, but 44 senators cannot pass a bill, unless only 87 show up to work.

[mater]

06:41 AM on 01/31/2012

Why won't they go out to these sites and see what the damage already is, what the water tastes like and what the chemicals can do to a man's body---and THEN decide if America needs this??? GO THERE, Big Talkers, and Joe Manchin (D) from WV--coming from coal country, this is a disgusting political move--hasn't there been enough damage to the land and water and mens' lives in your state already?

[goingstrong]

04:33 AM on 01/31/2012

The new Senate bill -- which would require Obama's signature to become law -- would bypass Obama and let instead Congress approve the project..........WHY would Obama sign a bill that would allow the Senate to bypass him??? They must have a combined IQ of a hammer

[Drew Alston]

07:51 AM on 01/31/2012

You have just insulted hammers everywhere.

[goingstrong]

08:57 PM on 01/31/2012

fanned :)

[Robert Fanney]

01:05 PM on 01/31/2012

They're just making noise to keep the issue alive. They think it's something they can campaign on.