WASHINGTON—A bill to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline cleared a key Senate committee Thursday, setting up a fight next week pitting newly empowered Republicans against President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats.
The Energy and Natural Resources committee moved the bill closer to the floor by a 13-9 vote. Sen Joe Manchin of West Virginia, one of six Democrats sponsoring the bill, was the only Democrat to support it in committee. The House will vote on its version of the bill Friday, and is expected to pass it easily.
The moves assures that the first piece of legislation in the Republican-controlled Senate is on a collision course with the White House, and neither side appeared to be giving any ground Thursday. New energy committee chairman Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, urged colleagues not to be deterred by the veto threat, reminding them the bill fell just one vote shy of passing the Senate when Democrats controlled the chamber last year.
The bill this time around already has enough support to overcome a filibuster - 54 Republicans and six Democrats are sponsors. But supporters acknowledge they are still short of what would be needed to overcome a veto threat, and were already discussing other means to get the pipeline approved.
Prior to the committee’s vote, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called on Obama to rescind his veto threat.
“So for a president who has said he'd like to see more bipartisan cooperation, this is a perfect opportunity,” McConnell said in a statement.
