WASHINGTON - Minnesota's U.S.. Senators. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken failed Monday in an attempt to keep the Keystone XL pipeline from moving to a final limited debate and decision in the coming weeks. Klobuchar and Franken sided with most of their fellow Democrats in a procedural vote that would have allowed ongoing debate on the bill. But by a 63-32 vote, a super-majority of senators, including 52 Republicans, 10 Democrats and one Independent, pushed the pipeline toward anticipated approval by the Senate's new Republican majority.
President Obama has threatened to veto the Keystone XL, saying the review process for the pipeline has been short-circuited by Congress.
Klobuchar and Franken cited the same reason when each voted against a Keystone bill that came to the floor late last year.
Franken re-iterated that position Monday shortly after trying to keep debate on the Keystone XL open.
"I don't believe that Congress should circumvent the regular permitting process for the Keystone pipeline as there are still agencies reviewing the project that have yet to complete their analyses," Franken said in a statement.
