But don’t expect Thursday’s vote to lead to construction permits for the contentious pipeline project that would ship crude oil from Canada to U.S. refineries on the Gulf Coast. The bill needs to be reconciled with the House version at the very least. And President Barack Obama has already vowed to veto the bill and while Republicans have enough Democratic support to clear a filibuster, they’ll be hard-pressed to find the 67 votes to override a veto.
So what’s the big fuss? Why is this one pipeline such a contentious issue and is it really worth the fight for opponents and advocates of Keystone XL?
Let’s break it down:
How long would the Keystone XL pipeline be?
TransCanada’s full-fledged Keystone Pipeline system is waiting for U.S. approval to finish construction on 1,200 miles of pipeline known as Keystone XL — the final piece of a 3,800-mile pipeline network.
Wait. There’s already a Keystone pipeline?
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The State Department said the pipeline was not in the U.S. national interest in 2011, but TransCanada renewed its application in May 2012 after making changes to the proposed route.
The White House has insisted it will let the State Department’s process play it before Obama makes a final decision on whether or not to approve the pipeline.
Obama has said his top concern in making a decision will be “does it contribute to the greenhouse gases that are causing climate change.”
After Obama already threatened to veto a Congressional bill that would force the pipeline’s approval, Keystone XL is facing a dim future.
Why Keystone XL matters
