The No. 2 Senate leader said Sunday that lawmakers remain short of the 60 votes needed to pass legislation authorizing the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline project.
Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, who is the majority whip, said it was unclear whether this week’s vote on the legislation will clear a procedural hurdle.
“We were one vote short as we left last week,” Durbin said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “But I know they’re burning up the phone lines and e-mails trying to find that vote to support the procedural move. I don’t know how successful they have been.”
The House passed a Keystone measure last week, when it suddenly become a central element in the Louisiana Senate runoff election between Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu and her Republican challenger, Rep. Bill Cassidy, who sponsored the House legislation.
Landrieu is down double digits behind Cassidy. Senate Democrats, in a bid to salvage her race, have allowed a vote on Keystone after refusing for months to bring the measure to the floor.
Many Democrats, including Durbin, say Congress should not strip from President Obama the authority over whether to start Keystone’s construction.
The project would extend a pipeline from the oil sands in Alberta, Canada, to the Gulf Coast refineries. Green groups are staunchly opposed to the construction, saying it will hurt the environment and set back efforts to increase alternative energy sources like wind and solar.
“Every indication is, the president will veto an attempt to pree-mpt the regular process of reviewing the permit for this pipeline. I think that it should go through the orderly process.”
Durbin also said Obama should take executive action on immigration, despite warnings from Republicans to refrain from unilateral action.
Durbin said voters on Nov. 4 send a message for Congress to solve problems and he faulted House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, for refusing to take up a Senate-passed, bipartisan immigration reform measure.
“This president is not going to go gently into his last two years,” Durbin said on the program. “He’s going to lead, as he is expected to as our president. And I hope that John Boehner and the Republicans will understand at least the message of the last election was, solve problems. Don’t just go to a political standoff. Do something.”
Republicans have warned Obama that if he takes unilateral action to reduce deportations or provide work permits or other legal benefits for those now living here illegally, it will prevent congressional passage of a broader immigration reform plan.
