The Keystone XL pipeline was denied congressional approval for construction in 2014 by the margin of a single Senate vote, narrowly defeating the largely Republican-supported Senate bill 2280 in what was a mostly partisan outcome.
Approval of the bill would have allowed TransCanada Keystone Pipeline to construct and operate a pipeline from Canada through the Midwest to Gulf Coast refineries waiting for crude oil pumped from the Canadian tar sands.
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Despite all 45 Senate Republicans voting for the bill, they failed to secure enough votes across the aisle in the 59-41 defeat. Only 14 Senate Democrats voted in favor of it against 39 from their own party in addition to two independents. However, while 60 votes would have passed it, the bill would have needed 67 votes, a two-thirds majority, to circumvent a likely veto from President Obama.
The Keystone XL pipeline fractured the voting bloc of Colorado's Democratic delegation, providing one of the few Democrats in favor of the measure. Sen. Mark Udall cast a "Nay" vote on approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, but Udall's Democratic colleague, Sen. Michael Bennet, voted "Yea."
Sen. Bennet's spokesman Adam Bozzi told KDVR that the senator thought that the focus on the Keystone XL was not a solution to our environmental and energy issues.
“[Bennet] would prefer that instead of focusing our political debate on a narrow issue that we develop a broad and comprehensive energy strategy to reduce carbon pollution and support renewable energy. He believes we should take aggressive action to curb climate change and support the President’s Climate Action Plan,” Bozzi said.
The votes were cast on Nov. 18, 2014. The bill was introduced May 1, 2014, by North Dakota Republican Sen. John Hoeven and had 55 co-sponsors.
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