Tue Jan 27, 2015 5:43am IST
(Adds details and background)
WASHINGTON Jan 26 (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. Senateblocked the Keystone XL pipeline bill from moving forward onMonday, but supporters of the project vowed to push ahead andeventually get a vote on the measure.
The Senate failed to get the 60 votes needed to limitdebate, voting 53 to 39 on the measure.
The Keystone bill allows Congress to approve TransCanadaCorp's project to link Canada's oil sands to refinerieson the Gulf Coast.
Democrats, who lost control of the Senate as a result ofNovember's elections, flexed their muscles to deliver a messageto Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that he will have to dealwith them even on bills that enjoy some bipartisan support.
McConnell has pledged that amendments to bills will bedebated in an open process. But Democrats said McConnell cut offdebate last Thursday on several amendments.
"He's got to work with us and not try to jam us," SenatorChuck Schumer said of McConnell. Democrats are not trying todelay the bill, but they don't want McConnell to shut down theopen process at his whim, said Schumer, the Senate's thirdranking Democrat.
Republicans have made passing the Keystone bill the first priority of the new Senate.
But the White House has said President Barack Obama wouldreject the bill, and Keystone supporters are four votes short ofthe 67 needed to overcome any veto.
Senator Lisa Murkowski, the chairman of the energycommittee, vowed to work with Democrats on her panel to consideradditional amendments. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner and Richard Cowan; Editing bySandra Maler)
(Adds details and background)
WASHINGTON Jan 26 (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. Senateblocked the Keystone XL pipeline bill from moving forward onMonday, but supporters of the project vowed to push ahead andeventually get a vote on the measure.
The Senate failed to get the 60 votes needed to limitdebate, voting 53 to 39 on the measure.
The Keystone bill allows Congress to approve TransCanadaCorp's project to link Canada's oil sands to refinerieson the Gulf Coast.
Democrats, who lost control of the Senate as a result ofNovember's elections, flexed their muscles to deliver a messageto Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that he will have to dealwith them even on bills that enjoy some bipartisan support.
McConnell has pledged that amendments to bills will bedebated in an open process. But Democrats said McConnell cut offdebate last Thursday on several amendments.
"He's got to work with us and not try to jam us," SenatorChuck Schumer said of McConnell. Democrats are not trying todelay the bill, but they don't want McConnell to shut down theopen process at his whim, said Schumer, the Senate's thirdranking Democrat.
Republicans have made passing the Keystone bill the first priority of the new Senate.
But the White House has said President Barack Obama wouldreject the bill, and Keystone supporters are four votes short ofthe 67 needed to overcome any veto.
Senator Lisa Murkowski, the chairman of the energycommittee, vowed to work with Democrats on her panel to consideradditional amendments. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner and Richard Cowan; Editing bySandra Maler)
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