WASHINGTON -- In a combustible blend of oil and politics, the Democratic-controlled Senate rejected legislation Tuesday night to force completion of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Republicans vowed to resurrect the controversial issue soon after taking two-house control of Congress in January.
The 59-41 Senate vote was one short of the 60 needed to clear the House-passed measure, and marked a severe blow to embattled Sen. Mary Landrieu, of Louisiana. While President Barack Obama and much of her party oppose the bill, the third-term Democrat had commandeered control of the chamber's agenda in hopes of securing approval of the project and boosting her chances in an uphill Dec. 6 runoff election.
All 45 Senate Republicans supported the legislation to build the Canada-to-Texas pipeline. Only 14 of 55 Democrats and allied independents joined them, a total that didn't budge despite an appeal by the Louisiana Democrat behind closed doors a few hours before the vote.
The vote was one of the last acts of this Senate controlled by the Democrats. It is expected to complete its work by mid-December.
But Republicans said a pipeline replay with the potential to spark a veto confrontation with Obama would be coming -- and soon.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and the incoming majority leader, said within minutes of the vote, "I look forward to the new Republican majority taking up and passing the Keystone jobs bill early in the new year."
The project would move oil from Canada into the United States and eventually to the Gulf Coast.
The proposed pipeline would run 1,179 miles from the Canadian tar sands to Gulf coast refineries.
Source: Top Stories - Google News - http://ift.tt/1uv3Dgc
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