Ted Poe pushes bill to approve Keystone XL

Houston Chronicle:
A Texas Republican lawmaker will introduce legislation Tuesday that would immediately approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline, overcoming the Obama administration’s denial of a permit last week.
Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble, will dub his bill the Keystone for a Secure Tomorrow Act of 2012, or K-FAST. TransCanada Corp.’s pipeline would carry tar-sands crude from Alberta, Canada, to refineries in Houston and Port Arthur, the latter of which is in Poe’s district.
His proposal would add to others that Republicans have considered since the Obama administration denied a permit. The State Department said a congressionally imposed decision deadline — which Republicans included in a deal to extend the payroll tax cut last month — wouldn’t provide enough time to assess alternative routes avoiding a Nebraska drinking-water aquifer.
Irate with the move and calling it an election-year political tactic, Republicans vowed not to let Keystone XL go away, while environmentalist opponents praised the president for standing up to the oil industry.
A separate proposal from Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., would put Keystone XL permitting authority in the hands of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, an independent agency, and require it to approve the pipeline within 30 days. The body also would have 30 days to approve Nebraska’s alternate route after the state picks it.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee will debate Terry’s proposal on Wednesday, when Assistant Secretary of State Kerri-Ann Jones, who served as the point person on Keystone XL, will testify to explain the decision against a permit.
Additionally a proposal from Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., would let Congress approve the Keystone XL pipeline.
... 
These bills will need to be tied to something Obama has to sign or they will be vetoed.  The extension of the pay roll tax cut maybe the vehicle chosen.

The issue is not going away and it is going to hurt Obama if he tries to block it.  A majority of voters approve of the deal and want it.

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