Senate Passes Keystone XL Oil Pipeline Bill

[Bosonic]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday passed a bill to force construction of the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline, which President Obama is certain to veto in his first official clash with the new Republican-majority Congress.

The five-year fight over the Keystone pipeline has become a proxy symbol for far broader fights over climate change, energy and the economy, and for the conflict between Mr. Obama and congressional Republicans.

When Republicans won control of the Senate late last year, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the new majority leader, chose the Keystone bill as the first measure Republicans would send to Mr. Obama.

The White House promptly declared that Mr. Obama would veto the measure — which would force the approval of a proposed 1,179-mile oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico — in a stroke of the pen that is expected to be the opening shot in a series of vetoes of Republican measures.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/30/us/politics/keystone-xl-pipeline-bill-advances-to-final-vote-in-senate.html

[Hissyspit]

1. Despite the whole thing being a really shitty deal.

[pangaia]

2. Will someone please tell me,

just WHAT does this do for Americans?

Will somebody even ask the question?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. I don't understand your question.

What does WHAT do for Americans?

The pipeline?
The fact that the Senate passed this bill?
The promised veto?

I'll be happy to answer once I know what you're asking.

[pangaia]

17. Well, I can understand why you didn't know what I was asking. :>)

My questions were 2-- both I guess rather sarcastic..

1- What in the world does this pipeline do for Americans? Nothing that I can see. Canadian oil going through the US to places far and wide. DUH !

2- Why don't people ask this simple question (DU excluded) ?

Double DUH...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

22. Thanks!

You're correct: the pipeline does nothing good for us. We take all the risk and get zero of the "benefit."

I think people don't ask because they've been brainwashed into thinking that this pipeline will lower gas prices (ha!) and provide jobs (haha!). Maybe the job thing will come true, but it would probably be for jobs cleaning up the many catastrophic spills!

[rhett o rick]

29. Let's not be tooo critical. The pipeline will create American jobs.

I think it's 13 permanent jobs.

[840high]

39. You're wrong - it's actually

14.

[rhett o rick]

43. That's well within my margin of error (+/- 50%). I bet they are all high paying

jobs also. They will help make up for the jobs losses do to TPP. See it all works out.

[840high]

45. .....

[PatrynXX]

30. more like Canadian crap going thru the middle of the country

so utterly toxic even America can't use it. = 50 jobs minus the million's of deaths this will likely bring from spills we have no idea how to clean up. ie once something spills it's an auto superfund site and nobody can go near it. Ironically I assume it'll go thru Republicans in Nebraska's dead bodies ... since when does Canada dictate what we can or cannot do.. this would go back to assume Hillary Clinton probably wouldn't veto it if she were president.

[FBaggins]

9. For republicans, it gets everyone on the record

For years, the president wouldn't say that he opposed it... they were just "studying" it. Members of congress could say that they were waiting for the administration to act.

Republicans obviously think that they can use the vote in future campaigns.

[RoccoR5955]

15. It pads the wallets of the Koch Brothers n/t

[Johnny Rash]

38. Oh, that's a SHOCKER!

Who wouldn't have seen that come?

Let me guess, upon the announcement of this most SHOCKING news, CRUDE-OIL stock prices went a little bit higher today .

Still, I am hoping this is more a "Morale Booster Scheme" cooked up by the Big OIL Barons, rather than the REAL thing.

[sendero]

21. Exactly...

.. I get the risks, the practical inevitable pipeline spill, but what do Americans GAIN from this?

Pretty much nothing, I'm pretty sure about that.

The passage of this toxic crap is yet another indication of just WHO our congress is working for. It's not the people.

[MADem]

46. I think it provides about fifty jobs and makes two fatcats stinking rich.

Maybe a few Senators, too.

I'm being sarcastic, but only just.

It'll be a good veto. We don't need that foolish thing, even if it makes our Canadian friends happy.

[Purveyor]

3. "The Senate voted 62 to 36 in favor of building the pipeline". These numbers, should they

hold, would override the President's veto.

[FBaggins]

5. A veto override requires a 2/3 majority

It's unlikely that they can get five more

[1StrongBlackMan]

33. In fact ...

they will likely lose vote on XL.

[NYC Liberal]

35. And then there's the House, which also has to override with 2/3rds...

[upaloopa]

6. If so the pipeline will be built. It most likely

will leak polluting the aquifer. No jobs will be created. The oil will add to the current glut in the world market and the people negatively effected will vote for the next crop of repugs.

[pangaia]

18. Even if it doesn't leak,

it still has no benefit that I can see for Americans.

[al bupp]

7. I think a 2/3 majority is required to override a presidential veto

A margin of 62 to 36 is not 2/3 of either 100 or 98, depending on how the total is reckoned in such cases.

[WestMichRad]

8. Wrong. These numbers will not be sufficient to override a veto.

To override requires a 2/3 majority...in both houses of Congress. So if 98 Senators vote on the override (the number who voted on the bill today), it will take a minimum of 66 votes to override. And similarly, at least 2/3 of voting House members to concur with overriding the veto, to make it become law.

[INdemo]

10. Yes but Im betting that President Obama will go back on his word

and signs the bill. "Its a legislative bargaining chip" is what he will tell us

[djean111]

13. I am afraid he will "bargain chip" Keystone in return for Fast Track.

IMO he really wants both.

[stage left]

20. I so hope you're not right.

But I'm afraid you may very well be.

[INdemo]

41. Thats the way this Chicago politicain works

[Cha]

27. Go ahead.. you'll lose.

[Panich52]

11. Incorrect

From The Hill:

Eight Democrats joined with every Republican in voting to approve the $8 billion project, four votes short of the two-thirds majority that would be needed to override a promised veto from President Obama.

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/231193-senate-votes-to-build-keystone

[choie]

12. according to CSPAN

The Dems who voted for it were: They were: Michael Bennet (CO),Tom Carper (DE), Bob Casey (PA), Joe Donnelly (IN), Heidi Heitkamp (ND), Joe Manchin (WV), Claire McCaskill (MO), Jon Tester (MT), and Mark Warner (VA) - Harry Reid missed the vote.

[PoliticAverse]

14. The Roll Call Vote...

On the cloture motion (passed 62-35):
https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=114&session=1&vote=00045

Final vote (passed 62-36):
https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=114&session=1&vote=00049

The 9 Democrats voting in favor:
Bennet (D-CO)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Donnelly (D-IN)
Heitkamp (D-ND)
Manchin (D-WV)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Tester (D-MT)
Warner (D-VA)

[peoli]

16. Thanks, was just looking for that.

[pangaia]

19. Next question, from WHOM do they get money?

[underpants]

26. Damn it Warner

This doesn't get you anywhere in the Commonwealth or nationally

[BlueEye]

40. Some of those people are just representing their constituents.

The fact that there are Democratic senators from Indiana, Montana, and North Dakota is pretty remarkable, given how red those states are. This is how democracy works.

Now Carper, Warner, a few others... That's probably just Big Oil money talkin'.

[Historic NY]

23. Screw it let them...when it leaks burn them...

when will they pass a bill demanding Alaskan oil to come to the mainland through Canada.?

[world wide wally]

24. If Obama goes back on his word and signs it trusting that he will get something big in return in the

future…. our proverbial goose is thoroughly cooked and I will never believe in anything he says again.

[Cha]

28. Jeebus.. President Obama is going to VETO.

[Andy823]

34. Exactly.

I don't know why so many here want to set their hair on fire and run around screaming " the sky is falling" ever time the president says he will doe something, like veto this, instead of waiting to see what really happens. It always makes me wonder what is wrong with these people.

[Cha]

44. Dunno.. but, I trust Mr President Obama!

[vkkv]

25. Fools

and complete idiots over at the GOP.

[Johnny Rash]

31. I would like to say "it's time to VOTE for a CHANGE", but guess what happen the last time...

Last edited Thu Jan 29, 2015, 09:01 PM - Edit history (1)

I still think the answer lays with the CONSUMERS rather than with the VOTERS.

But, then, both the CONSUMERS and the VOTERS always seem to get it wrong at the end-of-the-day.

[appleannie1]

32. I sent Casey an e-mail telling him to stop sending me greeting cards and

told him I would never vote for him again.

[Geronimoe]

37. Me too!

I sent him similar email. Told him he never ceases to disappoint.

Didn't know Senator Casey is a global warming denier.

Now we all know he is a puppet for the energy industry!

[mountain grammy]

36. VETO!

I sent a message to Bennet telling him to quit pretending he cares about the environment and global climate change. Quit being a phony and tell us where you stand: no future for your children or mine.

[IronLionZion]

42. Why don't they just change the route?

If the controversy is the route over the aquifer, why not just change the route and bypass the aquifer? What am I missing here? They could route it next to the existing pipelines.