The House voted Friday to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, seizing on the momentum from a Nebraska Supreme Court ruling hours earlier that removed the last major legal obstacle.
“Keystone XL will support at least 42,100 jobs including more than 9,000 in construction, bringing more than $5 billion in private investment into the U.S. economy. We are pleased to see the House vote in favor of American jobs and urge the Senate to do the same,” said PESA President Leslie Beyer.
The Senate will take up its version of the Keystone bill next week. Taken together, the vote on the Hill and the court decision will put the issue squarely in the hands of President Barack Obama, who has put off making a decision during his six years in the White House.
Congress, meanwhile, is already moving to end the debate and greenlight the pipeline on its own, with 266 House members voting to approve the project, including 28 Democrats.
“President Obama is now out of excuses for blocking the Keystone pipeline and the thousands of American jobs it would create,” House Speaker John Boehner said in a statement after the Nebraska ruling. “Finally, it’s time to start building.”
Supporters of the bill don’t yet have the 67 Senate votes they would need to override a veto. It is imperative that you contact your senator to voice your approval of the Keystone pipeline. Locate your senators and find their contact information in the PESA Policy Center.
Read more:
Wall Street Journal: Court Ruling, House Vote Pressure Obama to Act on Keystone Pipeline
Politico: House votes to fast-track Keystone XL pipeline
Reuters: Keystone clears hurdles, stage set for Washington showdown
ABC News: Nebraska High Court Tosses Suit Over Keystone Pipeline Route
FOX News: House approves Keystone bill, as court ruling delivers win to pipeline backers
Time: Court Throws Keystone Pipeline Debate Back to Obama
CNBC: Nebraska court tosses suit over Keystone pipeline
Reuters: Nebraska court clears pipeline route as showdown looms in Washington
CBS News: Nebraska Supreme Court ruling removes hurdle to Keystone pipeline
