Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Keystone XL Pipeline Bill, fails by 1 vote; Votes, Reactions

<> S.2280, to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, fails by 1 vote - 14 Democrats joined all Senate Republicans to account for 59 votes of 60 needed to pass the bill [See the roll call]

<> U.S. Senate Rejects Attempt to Force Approval of Keystone Pipeline - Environmental Defense Fund: We believe the pipeline is the wrong choice for America, a step in the wrong direction at a time when we need a rapid shift to clean energy in order to safeguard the climate and our economy.

  • Center for Biological Diversity - The pipeline, which would transport tar sands oil from Canada to Texas, would worsen the climate crisis and put rivers, streams, wildlife and pristine landscapes directly in harm's way.
  • Sierra Club - There's no good reason the Senate should have wasted all this time on yet another meaningless push for Keystone XL.
  • Some in Senate block biggest bi-partisan jobs and energy security bill - American Petroleum Institute (API) President and CEO Jack Gerard said the Senate's failure to pass legislation to build the Keystone XL pipeline shows a few stood in the way of the largest bi-partisan jobs and energy security bill ignoring the will of the American people on Election Day.
  • U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy - Unfortunately, there have been no indications that the Obama administration will stop ignoring the vast majority of Americans that support the pipeline, but we do know that Keystone will have even stronger support in the next Congress.