The Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday failed to get an enough
majority to override President Barack Obama's veto of Keystone XL
pipeline.
The vote was 62 to 37, failing to reach the two-thirds
majority required to undo a presidential veto. The failure in the
Senate means the House of Representatives will not vote on override.
The U.S. President Barack Obama vetoed the Keystone XL pipeline bill Tuesday, reiterating that the decision to build the project belongs to the government.
"Through this bill, the United States Congress attempts to circumvent longstanding and proven processes for determining whether or not building and operating a cross-border pipeline serves the national interest," said Obama in his veto message.
T
he US Senate will likely vote on the Keystone XL Pipeline bill next
week before advancing it to US President Barack Obama’s desk
for approval, Republican Senator from North Dakota John Hoeven said,
following the president’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday.
The Republican-controlled House approved the Keystone XL oil pipeline
easily on Friday, ignoring the recent veto threat against this project
from US President Obama.
The House passed the project by 266
votes to 153, the tenth time that the chamber has passed the
pro-Keystone legislation. The Senate is set to consider the legislation
next week.
The
U.S. Senate on Tuesday failed to pass legislation approving
construction of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline after the
Republican-controlled House approved the same bill last week.
The
Democratic-led Senate voted 59 to 41 to defeat the legislation that
would bring Canada's oil sands to refineries in the United States, just
one vote short of the 60 needed for passage in the 100-member chamber.