Senate fails to override Obama’s Keystone XL veto

The Senate failed to override President Obama’s veto of the bill to construct the Keystone XL pipeline on Wednesday. The vote stood at 62-37.

Five more votes were needed to total the 67 required to override the president’s vetoIf Congress wants to create another push toward construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, they will have to start over with a new bill, according to KX News.

Indiana GOP Sen. Dan Coats said after the votes were in that the Senate’s failed attempt at overriding Obama’s veto is “a defeat for our economy and American workers.” Coats added that the president and a “majority of Senate Democrats” have taken away the opportunity to create new jobs and to increase energy security despite the “support from the majority of Americans.” He said that the project is in “political paralysis.”

Some are looking to find other ways to save the legislation. North Dakota GOP Sen. John Hoeven stated before the vote that they will attach the legislation to another bill if they were to lose the “battle.”

The legislation was passed by the Senate on Jan. 29. Later, Obama vetoed the bill saying that no decision could be made until the State Department finished their impact studies. He stated that the legislation “conflicts with established executive branch procedures” and “cuts short” the consideration of issues such as safety, security and environment. The State Department could make a recommendation to Obama within the next few weeks, but there is no deadline set to make a decision, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The project, which has been under review for six years, would carry more than 800,000 barrels of oil per day over an international border. Most would come from Canada’s oil sands and travel to pipelines in Nebraska as reported by WSJ. If the Keystone XL Pipeline were ever completed, it would cross six U.S. states. And its cost could surpass $10 billion, which is more than twice its first estimate.

Supporters claim that the project will creates thousands of jobs and aid in making the United States less dependent on foreign oil. However, opponents claim that too much greenhouse gas will be emitted if drilling in Canada’s tar sands occurs, and it will contribute to global warming.

This vote marked the first time the Senate has attempted to override Obama since he has been in office. President Obama has, however, invoked his presidential right two other times since 2009 on minor bills in which the House failed to override his veto.

Be social, please share!

Facebooktwittergoogle_plusredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *