The instant Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu demanded a vote on her legislation to authorize construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy moved to secure House action on his bill that would do the same.

Cassidy is challenging Landrieu in a crucial December runoff election in Louisiana that could expand the new GOP Senate majority to 54 seats, and wasn’t about to get outflanked. Enter Sharon Soderstrom and Mike Sommers, chiefs of staff, respectively, for incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.