Following last Friday’s House passage of H.R. 5682 which would approve the Keystone XL pipeline, the Senate considered an identical bill (S. 2280) yesterday.  Unfortunately, the Senate fell one vote short of the necessary 60 votes to approve the pipeline.  Every Senate Republican voted in favor of S. 2280 along with 14 Democrats.

                                                                                         

The Keystone XL pipeline enjoys overwhelming support from American, with 60 percent saying it should be approved and 25 percent opposed, according to a USA today poll released Monday.  Some political insiders believe that because the Obama Administration did not issue an official veto threat to either bill has fueled speculation that Obama may want to use the pipeline in negotiations with the incoming Republican Congress next year.  Keystone XL pipeline supporters will be close to the necessary 67 votes to override a Presidential veto when the GOP takes control next year, plus nine pro-Keystone XL Democrats.