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Related: About this forumBig Oil Attempts to End-Run Keystone XL with Congressional Approval
The oil industry is planning an end-run around the President and State Department as they linger over the impending decision on whether to authorize the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by pushing for Big Oil friendly Congressional approval of the project.
On Thursday, Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.) introduced a bill which authorizes Transcanada Corp. to construct the pipeline, opening up more than 800,000 barrels a day of heavily polluting tar sands oil.
The announcement of the bill reads: "The senators bill would approve the 1,700-mile, high-tech project under Congresss authority enumerated in the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 8."
Reportedly, Hoeven last year secured an opinion from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) confirming Congresss constitutional authority to approve the project.
According to Oil Change International, "the co-sponsors of this new bill have enjoyed massive contributions from the fossil fuel industry through their careers." According to their Dirty Energy Money database:
In total, the 14 Senators who have co-sponsored this bill have received nearly $10 MILLION in contributions from the fossil fuel industry, some $6.6 million of that from the oil industry alone.
On average, the 14 co-sponsors have received over $708,000 each from the fossil fuel industry in their career, over half of that from the oil industry.
Compared to the rest of the Senate, the co-sponsors of todays pro-KeystoneXL bill have received 227% more in fossil fuel-related campaign contributions on average than their counterparts.
The list of Senators cosponsoring the bill includes Sens. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) Mary Landrieu (D-La.), David Vitter (R-La.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).
On Thursday, Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.) introduced a bill which authorizes Transcanada Corp. to construct the pipeline, opening up more than 800,000 barrels a day of heavily polluting tar sands oil.
The announcement of the bill reads: "The senators bill would approve the 1,700-mile, high-tech project under Congresss authority enumerated in the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 8."
Reportedly, Hoeven last year secured an opinion from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) confirming Congresss constitutional authority to approve the project.
According to Oil Change International, "the co-sponsors of this new bill have enjoyed massive contributions from the fossil fuel industry through their careers." According to their Dirty Energy Money database:
In total, the 14 Senators who have co-sponsored this bill have received nearly $10 MILLION in contributions from the fossil fuel industry, some $6.6 million of that from the oil industry alone.
On average, the 14 co-sponsors have received over $708,000 each from the fossil fuel industry in their career, over half of that from the oil industry.
Compared to the rest of the Senate, the co-sponsors of todays pro-KeystoneXL bill have received 227% more in fossil fuel-related campaign contributions on average than their counterparts.
The list of Senators cosponsoring the bill includes Sens. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) Mary Landrieu (D-La.), David Vitter (R-La.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/03/16
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Big Oil Attempts to End-Run Keystone XL with Congressional Approval (Original Post)
octoberlib
Mar 2013
OP
dballance
(5,756 posts)1. Do They Have the Votes to Override a Veto?
Probably not. This is probably just them trying to ensure their re-election.
2naSalit
(86,579 posts)2. I do wish
the two oil drenched POS Senators from MT had appropriate D contenders, I'd be voting for them in a heartbeat. Unfortunately Tester just got re-elected and Baucus needed to be voted out years ago, they will also try to defeat and gun related laws when they come up for a vote as well. Fuckinfuckers.
patrice
(47,992 posts)3. Look at all of those f-in' Ds!! Where's a workable 3rd party when you need one? nt
lonestarnot
(77,097 posts)4. Criminal bastards.