U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Republicans are scrambling to get to 60 votes to pass the Keystone XL Pipeline through the Senate, but a senator from Florida plans to vote against it.
Landrieu and Republicans backing the pipeline targeted U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., as a possible convert on the issue. But Nelsons office told the National Journal that he is not going to support the bill the U.S. House passed on Friday. While Nelson supports Keystone XL, he is insisting any approval of it would be accompanied by an export ban on the oil carried through the pipeline. Landrieu will be hard-pressed to get enough Democrats to reach 60 votes.
Even as Landrieu, an underdog in the runoff election against U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-La., fights for her political life, President Barack Obama continues to signal that he opposes the pipeline. On Sunday, traveling in Australia for the G20, Obama expressed reservations on the pipeline, noting State Department reports continue to stress the environmental harm it could bring.
With respect to Keystone, Ive said consistently ... were going to let the process play itself out, Obama said. And the determination will be made in the first instance by the secretary of State. But I wont hide my opinion about this, which is that one major determinant of whether we should approve a pipeline shipping Canadian oil to world markets, not to the United States, is does it contribute to the greenhouse gases that are causing climate change.
On Friday, the U.S. House passed the Keystone XL authorization for the ninth time on a 252-161 vote. All Republicans in the House voted for the bill while 31 Democrats joined them. Party lines held firm in the Florida delegation with the exception of U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., who crossed over to vote with the Republicans.
U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., has ranked as one of the pipelines biggest supporters since being elected in 2012, even comparing it to the transcontinental railroad of the 19th century. Yoho called on Obama and the Senate to support the pipeline after the House vote.
This is a jobs bill, plain and simple, Yoho said on Friday. This Keystone XL Pipeline is projected to create over 40,000 good paying jobs. There is no reason this bipartisan legislation should have been blocked for so long. The president and Harry Reids Senate has been the sole reason this has not moved forward.
Creating good paying jobs for hard-working Americans while improving the strength of our economy is my priority, Yoho added. I will continue to support any and all legislation that achieves this goal. It is time to put America first. I hope this bill will be passed out of the Senate quickly and signed by the president immediately.
U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., insisted Keystone XL was a major issue in the elections earlier this month which saw the GOP flip the Senate.
Building the Keystone pipeline was absolutely on the ballot last week, and the American people sent a clear message its time to build, Rooney said on Friday. Will President Obama and Harry Reid continue to ignore the American people, or will they finally say yes to jobs and energy?
The president has had ample time and evidence to approve Keystone, including an analysis from his own State Department projecting it will support 42,100 jobs and have a minimal impact on the environment, but he has refused, Rooney added. Now its time for the Senate to follow the Houses lead and pass this bipartisan bill to boost our economy and improve our energy security.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN.
