Senate panel approves Keystone XL bill, despite veto threat
WASHINGTON — The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday approved legislation to authorize the Keystone XL pipeline, following a divisive debate over climate change that previewed bitter fights to come.
The 13-9 vote to approve the measure — with West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin the lone Democrat crossing party lines to back the bill — paves the way for Senate floor debate to begin as soon as Monday.
It could take weeks for the Senate to wade through potentially dozens of amendments to the three-page bill, with proposals tackling such topics as climate change, taxes and energy efficiency marking potentially the broadest energy debate the chamber has had in years.
Even then, the White House has threatened to veto the legislation, saying it would short-circuit a State Department review of the proposed border-crossing pipeline and a legal challenge to the route through Nebraska.
Both foes and fans of Keystone XL insisted Thursday that the fight is about much more than the fate of a single pipeline.
We need to rally forces because the Senate is expected to take up identical legislation next week.
Oil industry group to score lawmakers’ energy votes
WASHINGTON — An oil industry-backed group is now scoring lawmakers’ votes on energy and environment issues, starting with their handling of a Keystone XL bill on Friday.The move comes courtesy of the American Energy Alliance, a political affiliate of the industry-funded Institute for Energy Research, and follows the lead of similar, longstanding scorecards by environmental groups such as the League of Conservation Voters.
Legislative scorecards can serve as ammunition during campaign season, with lawmakers’ grades on key groups from various groups highlighted in political advertising by both friend and foe alike.
The American Energy Alliance bills its scorecard as the first and only one focused on “free-market congressional energy accountability.” The group said it is designed to empower “the American people to hold their elected officials accountable for the decisions they make in Washington.”
The American Energy Alliance wants lawmakers to approve the measure. I propose we have a scorecard of our own and let our representatives iknow that we are watching the issue closely and don't want it passed..