La. lawmakers kickstart Keystone pipeline debate
WASHINGTON — Two lawmakers locked in a runoff for Louisiana's Senate seat reinvigorated the battle over the Keystone XL pipeline on Wednesday in a maneuver that could ultimately get the bill to President Obama's desk and play a role in the Dec. 6 election.
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., with the backing of like-minded Democrats, helped secure an agreement for a vote next Tuesday on legislation that would immediately authorize TransCanada to build the Keystone XL pipeline. The project has been under review at the State Department and faces opposition from most congressional Democrats and environmental groups.
"I've stood against my leadership when I've had to, and this is one of those times," Landrieu said.
Shortly after Landrieu made her intentions known on the Senate floor, House Republicans announced they would vote Thursday on mirror legislation sponsored by Louisiana GOP Rep. Bill Cassidy.
The two lawmakers are pitted against each other in a runoff for Landrieu's Senate seat because neither crossed the necessary 50% threshold on Election Day. Cassidy is favored to win because of the conservative lean of the state. A GOP victory there would increase the party's Senate majority to 54 seats in January.
Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide
Landrieu enjoyed support for her renewed Keystone push from centrist Democrats in conservative states where the pipeline is popular, including Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Jon Tester of Montana and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota.
The Democratic rallying behind the pipeline came a day after the Obama administration announced a sweeping bilateral deal with China to reduce carbon emissions. Most Senate Democrats oppose the pipeline on environmental grounds that Republicans broadly reject.
It is unclear whether Landrieu's gambit will pay off. The bill has 56 co-sponsors including all 45 Republican senators and 11 Democrats. In a statement, bill co-sponsor Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said that if Landrieu could deliver four Democrats to overcome a 60-vote procedural hurdle to pass it, he supports her action.
"I thought we would have to wait until the new Congress is seated to have the 60 votes," he said, "But if 15 Democrats will join us, we can pass the bill now, and we should."
It is unclear what President Obama would do if the bill hits his desk. He has defended the lengthy process the U.S. is using to decide whether or not to approve the pipeline.
In Louisiana where oil and gas is a leading industry, the pipeline has broad support. There is little daylight between Landrieu and Cassidy on the policy. Both have been proponents of the pipeline and critics of the Obama administration for delaying its construction.
The jockeying in Congress on Wednesday underscored how the two lawmakers are vying to be seen as holding clout on Capitol Hill to appeal to voters in their home state.
Landrieu is the current chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has said that he will put Cassidy on that committee if he wins the runoff.
Cassidy's bill is all but assured passage because Republicans control the Houseand similar language has previously passed. A vote was expected Thursday.
Landrieu insisted her move was not about politics. "If taking my name off of this bill helps it pass, then so be it," she told reporters.
Incoming Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, have indicated that a GOP-controlled Congress would move forward on Keystone approval next year if it does not happen in the lame-duck session while Democrats are in control.