President Barack Obama will veto a bill approving the controversial Keystone XL pipeline if it passes Congress, the White House has said.
The White House, ending weeks of speculation about its response to Republican moves on Keystone, said Obama would veto a bill introduced earlier on Tuesday that aims to take the decision over the pipeline out of his hands.
漆褒勛圖厙If this bill passes this Congress, the President wouldn漆褒勛圖厙t sign it,漆褒勛圖厙 the White House Press Secretary, Josh Earnest, said.
The bill introduced in the Senate on Tuesday would give immediate approval to a Canadian pipeline project that has been waiting more than six years for a decision from the Obama administration.
The measure has the support of 63 senators 漆褒勛圖厙 all 54 Republicans as well as some Democrats 漆褒勛圖厙 enough to override a filibuster in the Senate.
But the Keystone supporters do not have the 67 votes needed to overcome a presidential veto.
Keystone supporters said the bill fast-tracking the Canadian pipeline was critical to keep crude oil moving.
TransCanada, the Canadian company building the pipeline, said it was encouraged by the moves in Congress. 漆褒勛圖厙We look forward to the debate and ultimately a decision by the US administration to build Keystone XL,漆褒勛圖厙 the company said in a statement.
The bill is the first major legislation to be introduced in the Republican-controlled Congress and a vote is expected in the House later this week.
Edited from source by
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