The new Republican-controlled Senate plans to immediately fast-track legislation to authorize construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, as soon as lawmakers are sworn in on Tuesday.
The bill is due to hit the Senate floor by week’s end, setting up a crucial test vote for Monday that will determine if enough Democrats are willing to break with their party and defeat an expected Democratic filibuster, paving the way for the legislation to reach President Obama’s desk.
However, to honor incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s commitment to run the chamber according to “regular order,” the GOP will form the Energy and Natural Resources Committee early this week, ahead of other Senate committees, GOP aides confirmed. The panel, under Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, is scheduled to consider Keystone XL legislation Wednesday and vote Thursday. Bipartisan legislation is set to be introduced on Tuesday by Sens. John Hoeven, R-N.D., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.
If 60 senators vote to allow debate, McConnell has vowed to open the bill to amendments. “Let me just say first about Keystone, that will be a full-energy debate. In other words, the bill will be open for amendment. And I expect it to develop into a full-throated energy debate, something I don’t believe we’ve had in the Senate since at least ’07,” the Kentucky Republican told the Washington Examiner in an interview.
House Republicans, who have previously passed Keystone XL legislation that stalled in the Democratic Senate, do not plan to run their bill through committee.
Meanwhile, Senate floor votes on the first day of session Tuesday are expected to be limited to housekeeping matters.
