Tar sands bitumen would be moved through the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to Texas.
Just four Senate Democrats voted Monday with the Republicans for cloture on a bill that would have approved Keystone XL pipeline. The bill would have transferred authority from the president over the pipeline to Congress. Sixty votes were needed. The vote was 53-39. The four Democratic "yes" votes were Sens. Mike Bennet of Colorado, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin III of West Virginia. (Four Democrats and four Republicans did not vote.)
In the run-up to Monday's vote, senators considered 24 amendments, three of which passed. There are still more than 140 amendments to be considered.
Elana Schor reports:
The Keystone bill’s backers initially eyed an end to pipeline votes this week. But legislation once viewed as an easy layup for the new GOP Senate is now starting to become mired in partisan resistance from as the Democratic minority digs in its heels on McConnell’s vow for freewheeling debate.
McConnell spokesman Don Stewart noted earlier Monday that nine Democratic senators voted to fast-track Keystone in November with no amendments considered — drawing a contrast with the calls for longer debate now emanating from Obama’s party. One of those pro-pipeline Democrats, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, will miss the Monday vote while traveling in India with the president.
In a procedural move, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell voted against the pipeline so that he could introduce a motion to reconsider.
Laura Barron-Lopez reports:
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said the amendments offered by Democrats improved the bill, and scolded McConnell for objecting to 60 seconds of debate on Democratic amendments that were offered last week.
"It didn't leave a very good taste in the mouth of many Democrats not even those who are supporting this Keystone Canadian pipeline," Durbin said Monday.
Sen. Barbara Boxer labeled McConnell's cutting off debate on five Democratic amendments last Friday as a "gag-a-thon."