Jan 7, 2015 - New Congress Introduces Legislation to Approve Keystone XL Pipeline, Obama Threatens to Veto

Washington DC- U.S. Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) today introduced the first piece of legislation for the new Republican controlled congress. The Hoeven-Manchin bill, S.1, would approve the Keystone XL pipeline under Congress’s authority enumerated in the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 8. So far sixty Senators are co-sponsoring the bill.

Shortly after the introduction of the legislation President Obama stated that he would veto any legislation approving the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.

“If this bill passes this Congress, the president wouldn’t sign it,” said White House press secretary Josh Earnest.

Keystone XL backers have already stated that if the legislation passes, and President Obama vetoes, they plan to attach the bill to another so-called “must-pass” piece of legislation.

Opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline have called on President Obama to not only simply veto legislation approving the KXL pipeline, but to formally reject TransCanada’s permit effectively concluding the on-going debate over the KXL.

This week, a grassroots coalition of landowners, native leaders, and allied supporters are taking action across South Dakota to protest the proposed Keystone XL pipeline and raise awareness of the unified opposition to the project.

The Senate energy committee plans to hold a hearing on the measure Wednesday at 10 a.m. and a vote on the legislation at a business meeting on Thursday at 10 a.m. in room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.