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Keystone XL Pipeline Faces Big Vote in Senate
by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700
Copyright
November 18, 2014
All Rights Reserved.
Last vetoed by President Barack Obama Jan 18, 2012,
the Republican controlled House of Representatives passed the latest version of
the Keystone XL Pipeline bill 252 to 161 Nov. 14. Swayed by environmentalists, the
Senate and Obama lean toward another veto that could have consequences in the
2016 presidential election. Slapped
in the polls Nov. 4, Democrats lost the U.S. senate and more governorships
around the country, signaling, if nothing else, discontent with the president’s
governing. When Obama ran for
president in 2008, he promised to end the red-state-blue-state divisions,
governing as a post-partisan president. Shortly
after taking office Jan. 20, 2014, he let House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)
and Sen. Majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) set his agenda, pushing, passing
and signing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act March 23, 2010.
Not a single Republican voted for what became known as Obamacare, adding
to Washington’s already toxic political atmosphere. Now Obama faces perhaps his last chance to show he can get on the same page as the GOP
and back the Keystone XL Pipeline, designed to bring Canadian tar sands oil from
Hardisty, Alberta to Houston, Texas spanning 2,151 miles. About 40% of the Keystone XL is
already built, leaving about 1,200 miles left.
Environmentalist object to oil-fracking technology, insisting it adds of
carbon dioxide emissions and global warming.
But whether the oil runs through the Keystone XL Pipeline or not, they
know Canada will not give up its tar sands industry. XL Keystone is about how that oil gets transported either by tanker trucks, trains or a
more efficient pipeline. GOP touts the project as creating thousands of well-paying American jobs.
Whatever the positive economic impact to green lighting the Keystone
XL Pipeline, the more important point for Obama and Democrats is whether or not
they can compromise with Republicans.
Instead of looking at XL Keystone as a win for one party or another, the
White House should seize the opportunity to prove it can act in a nonpartisan
way. “This is skilled labor and these are high-paying jobs—there’s no denying that,” said
Aaron Task, editor of Yahoo Finance.
While the economic benefits of the Keystone XL are well known, the
political benefits are not. Democrats think that if they give into the GOP, it weakens them heading into the 2016
presidential sweepstakes. Showing the crossover voters and independents that they can govern from the center,
passing the Keystone would prove Democrats can join Republicans for the good of
the economy.
With already 59 yes votes in the U.S. Senate, backers of the Keystone XL need
only one more Democratic or independent vote.
Sen. Angus King (I-Vt.) signaled he would not vote for the bill, saying
it was inappropriate for Senate to pass business legislation. “Congress is not—and should not
be—in the business of legislating the approval or disapproval of a construction
project,” said King. Passing the
buck, King knows that Congress approves all kinds of legislation related to
international and interstate commerce.
His reluctance to sign on relates more to his environmental stance, not
whether he’s opposed to Congress passing business legislation. Even without King’s vote, there’s
still a few more crossover votes to get Keystone XL passed. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), facing a
tough runoff with Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), hopes to get one more vote to help
her reelection.
Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), who cosponsored the KeystoneXL bill with
Landrieu, thinks he’ll find one more vote to pass the legislation. If not, he plans to reintroduce the bill in early 2015 when the Senate has a more
decisive majority. “We’re at 59
votes confirmed. We’ve got a couple
of maybes. I think there’s one or
tow more votes that may join. So I think we have go shot to get it,” said Hoeven, pushing hard for passage. Falling hard on Nov. 4, Democrats
need to pick their battles wisely or prove to voters they’re the obstructionist
party. While Democrats’ extreme
environmental wing opposes Keystone XL, more moderate voters like the idea of
increasing jobs and more foreign energy independence. Passing the bill would be a win-win
for Democrats and Republicans, proving to voters that Washington can actually
get something done for the good of the country.
With a fateful vote on Keystone XL looming today, Obama should signal
that he’s willing to sign the legislation should it pass the Senate. Ending
speculation about a possible veto would give fence-sitters reasons to make up
their minds. Opposing the bill
because of speculation about creating more greenhouse gases obscures the
importance of passing the legislation.
Since Barack signed Obamacare into law March 23, 2010, the GOP has been
at loggerheads with Democrats, mucking up any chance a bipartisanship. Keystone XL gives Democrats and Republicans the perfect chance to work together for the
good of the country, certainly the economy.
If the Senate finds the 60 votes needed to pass the legislation, Obama
should do some real soul searching before taking out his veto pen. Proving that he can find common
ground with Republicans should pay dividends heading into 2016.
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