Late last week the House of Representatives passed yet another bill approving the Keystone XL pipeline. Yesterday the Senate took a test vote, where the legislation passed 63-32. Debate on the bill will begin today and could be passed with key Democrat support by the end of the week, setting up a showdown with the White House as President Obama stands by his veto threat. At this time, Republicans do not have enough Democrat votes to override a presidential veto.
Last week the Nebraska Supreme Court green-lighted the project, yet the administration's policy toward the pipeline doesn't seem to have changed.
The court overturned a Lancaster County District Court ruling, even though a majority of the justices felt the law that allowed the governor to determine the route of the pipeline was unconstitutional.
Four members of the seven-member court concluded the Lancaster County District Court ruling was correct when it sided with landowners who challenged LB 1161 -- the law which allowed the governor to sign off on a path for a pipeline.
President Obama and officials in his administration have said in the past they would weigh the Nebraska Supreme Court ruling in their final decision.