The head of the oil and gas industry’s top trade group predicted Friday that Congress could next year pass legislation to build the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline next year without encountering a veto from President Obama.
American Petroleum Institute CEO Jack Gerard told reporters that there’s “a solid 63, 64” votes in the Senate when the GOP takes over in January. He envisioned a bill authorizing construction of the Canada-to-Gulf Coast project would include other energy items to build a broader base of support.
“I don’t expect at the end of the day it’s going to have to be a veto override,” Gerard said during a media call. “I think we can find a way to resolve it with a strong bipartisan vote because there’s a lot of Democrats who would tell the president, ‘You know, enough’s enough. Let’s move on with this issue.’ So I suspect that is what’s going to happen.”
Keystone XL has been in administrative limbo for more than six years as it awaits a State Department permit to finish the pipeline’s northern portion, which crosses into Canada. Gerard said API planned to start an advertising campaign in the near future to pressure Obama into acting on the pipeline.
A bill green-lighting the project failed narrowly in the Senate last month on a 59-41 vote. The Obama administration hinted at a veto because the White House doesn’t want Congress to circumvent the State Department review, which is on hold until the Nebraska Supreme Court decides whether the pipeline route is constitutional. The Nebraska ruling is expected as early as this month.
Gerard’s comments echoed the approach of Sen. John Hoeven, who was the lead Republican on the failed Keystone XL bill. The North Dakota Republican said the pipeline could get wrapped into a broader energy bill or perhaps spending legislation.
Incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., also has signaled he would depart from the way current Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., ran the upper chamber by allowing senators more opportunities to attach amendments to legislation. That could open the door for Democrats to tack their priorities onto a Keystone XL bill, helping to build support.
“There’s way to figure these things out so both sides can get what they’re after in this process,” Gerard said.
