GOP has votes to pass Keystone

Republican gains in the Senate have given Keystone XL supporters a filibuster-proof majority to pass a bill approving construction of the controversial pipeline.

Before Tuesday’s election, supporters had 57 votes in the Senate in support of Keystone, including a dozen Democrats. After Republicans picked up seven Senate seats (and counting) in Tuesday's election, the vote count for Keystone had ballooned to 61.

GOP Sen.-elects Mike Rounds (S.D.), Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.) Cory Garnder (Colo.) and Joni Ernst (Iowa) are all Keystone backers. "The election of several pro-Keystone Senators puts the passage of Keystone that much closer and shows energy projects like Keystone is a priority for our country," Ryan Bernstein, Sen. John Hoeven's (R-N.D.) chief of staff, told The Hill on Wednesday.

"We will be working with Senator [Mitch] McConnell (R-Ky.) to get a vote on the floor shortly after the new Congress is seated," Bernstein added.

A Republican Senate could pass a clean Keystone bill outright, or tether approval of the oil sands pipeline to a must-pass spending bill or broader energy package. The latter would make it harder for President Obama to veto the pipeline.

This is a done deal, no doubt this will pass both houses of congress.... Whether Obama vetos it or not is the question.

A main objective of the Republican Congress must be to define the public interest, and force Democrats to vote against the public interest in order to support Obama.

Obamacare repeal? May get a vote, if it does will be vetoed and can’t override so will be symbolic more than anything.

It’s one thing for Obama to veto a repeal of the ACA, and it’s another thing to veto the Republican alternative to ACA which will come out after SCOTUS declares that Obama can’t violate ACA by subsidizing insurance bought on the Federal exchange. What, is SCOTUS actually going to hold that the plain text of ACA doesn’t mean what it says??? I sure hope not!

Doesn't it require 67 votes to override a veto?

Just 60.

Sorry for not replying earlier. Had some work to do.

Article 1, Section 7 of Constitution

Every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a law, be presented to the President of the United States; if he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the objections at large on their journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a law. But in all such cases the votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the persons voting for and against the bill shall be entered on the journal of each House respectively. If any bill shall not be returned by the President within ten days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a law, in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their adjournment prevent its return, in which case it shall not be a law.

2/3 of Senate = 67

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.