Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning), has been a long-time supporter of the Keystone XL Pipeline legislation, saying it will create jobs and assist with manufacturing growth in the United States.
WASHINGTON – Despite the likelihood of a presidential veto, the House of Representatives late last week passed a bill approving the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
The vote was 266-153, with more than two dozen Democrats joining nearly all Republicans to pass the measure. Chautauqua County’s representative – Republican Tom Reed of Corning – was one of the 266 who approved the measure.
In a statement following the vote, Reed said the Keystone XL Pipeline not only creates countless infrastructure construction jobs, but it will also lower energy costs and put the country another step closer to reducing its dependence on Middle East crude and contribute to the rebirth of domestic manufacturing.
The vote was the first time the legislation passed in the new session of Congress which began Tuesday, but the tenth time the GOP-controlled House has sent a bill approving the pipeline to the Senate.
A Senate committee passed its Keystone legislation on Thursday, and the bill is scheduled for a vote later this month. Senate GOP leaders are confident they have enough votes to overcome a Democratic filibuster on the bill, but they do not believe they can sustain a veto.
The White House says it’s waiting on the State Department to review a new court ruling that effectively removes a major block to the building of the Keystone XL pipeline.
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