Monday, March 25, 2013

The Spot — Denver, Colorado politics and policy blog | The Denver Post

The Spot — Denver, Colorado politics and policy blog 



Bennet says yes, Udall says no in split vote on Keystone Pipeline

was among 17 Democrats who voted late Friday to support the construction of the Keystone oil sands pipeline.
WASHINGTON — The normally cohesive Democratic team of Colorado senators split votes late Friday in a non-binding measure endorsing construction of the Keystone pipeline.
Sen. Michael Bennet supported the amendment and voted against it. The U.S. Senate approved the measure 62-37, all 45 Republicans and 17 Democrats voted yes.
A recent state Department report, which had no major objections to the project, stated that the proposed pipeline would cross three states and run 875 miles. This is a change from the original plan, which would have traipsed 1,384 miles through five states.
The pipeline would carry crude from Alaska to the Gulf Coast so it can be refined. Ultimately President Barack Obama will decide whether Keystone can go forward.
Environmentalists were enraged at the vote and took to social media, Twitter and Facebook, throughout the weekend vowing to target the Democrats who supported it. The oil industry supports the project, saying it would create thousands of jobs.
Other Democrats supporting the measure are those vulnerable members already in re-election mode — like Alaska Sen. Mark Begich — for 2014.
Other supporters included Democrats — like Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Sen. Jon Tester of Montana — who brand themselves as moderates and recently won their seats.
This is the second time this year that Bennet, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, has struck out against the majority of his party.
In the wee hours of New Year’s Day, Bennet was among only eight senators who voted against the deal to avert the fiscal cliff.
The DSCC is the fundraising arm to get Democrats elected to the U.S. Senate for 2014.
Udall’s spokesman said Monday that his boss didn’t support the amendment because “he believed they injected politics into a process that is progressing as it should.”

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