WASHINGTON — The Senate voted Thursday afternoon to approve a bill authorizing construction of the Keystone XL pipeline over the presidential approval process, capping off weeks of debate over amendments.
Following the vote, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) praised the passage, calling it a victory “for jobs in this country, for energy security, for good trade relationships with our neighbor in Canada.”
“For all the right reasons, it was important that we pass this legislation in front of us here today,” said Murkowski.
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Russ Girling, the CEO of TransCanada — the company seeking to build the pipeline — said in a statement Thursday afternoon that he was “encouraged by the strong bipartisan support for Keystone XL” in the Senate. “It’s time to approve Keystone XL so we can transport Canadian and American oil to fuel the everyday lives of the American people. We look forward to a decision by the U.S. Administration to approve the construction of Keystone XL.”
This story has been updated to include Girling’s comments.
