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Despite the fact that White House sources hinted that President Obama would veto the controversial Keystone XL pipeline bill if it is ever brought to his desk, US Congressmen have gone ahead and passed the bill approving the KXL pipeline project.
The US Congress dares Obama, approves Keystone XL pipeline project bill
Despite the fact that White House sources hinted that President Obama would veto the controversial Keystone XL pipeline bill if it is ever brought to his desk, US Congressmen have gone ahead and passed the bill approving the KXL pipeline project.
After several weeks of debating the appropriateness of the said bill, and Democrats attempting to make amendments while Republicans pushed for its passage – it was eventually passed with a 62-36 votes and sent over to the president for approval.
The Keystone XL project is a 875-mile (1,400km) pipeline that would carry tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada, to the US state of Nebraska where it joins pipes running to Texas.
President Obama alongside Democrats in the House had sought to clamp down on the proposed bill because they insisted the pipeline will add to carbon emissions and contribute to global warming; while environmental groups added that it would impact negatively on the environment. But Republicans insist the project would create thousands of jobs for the American people and add value to the American economy.
This controversial bill has pitched Republicans against Democrats in several stages of its debate. But ultimately with its passage, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell called the bill “an important accomplishment for the country. We are hoping the president upon reflection will agree to sign on to a bill that the State Department said could create up to 42,000 jobs and the State Department said creates little to no impact on the environment.”
But Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer responded by calling the bill “a disgrace”. She said “We tried on our side to make this a better bill and they turned us away.” The Democrats had attempted to amend the bill by inserting energy efficiency measures, as well as including an acknowledgement that climate warming is very real and stares us in the face.
The US president has been critical of the pipeline, saying at the end of last year it would primarily benefit Canadian oil firms and not contribute much to already dropping petrol prices.
The Keystone XL pipeline will be carrying some 830,000 barrels of heavy crude a day from the fields in Alberta to Nebraska.The oil would then be transported on existing pipes to refineries in Texas. The southern section of the project was finished last year. Since the pipeline would cross an international border, the state department got involved.
Now the buck has been passed to President Obama to sign the bill. But if he attempts to veto it as per his threats, Congress would need about two-thirds of each chamber of Congress to overcome a presidential veto.
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