"GOP Prepares Keystone Blitz"

"Republicans are putting the Keystone XL pipeline at the top of the agenda as they seek to move a stack of legislation to President Obama’s desk in 2015.

Incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has promised that a vote on approving the $8 billion oil sands project would be his first order of business in the majority, and legislation is set to move quickly in the opening days of the new Congress.

A Senate panel will hold a hearing on legislation to approve construction of the pipeline next week, followed by a markup on Thursday, raising the potential for a final vote in mid-January.

If all goes as planned, Keystone proponents will have the filibuster-proof majority needed to get a bill to Obama, setting the stage for what could be his first veto in the new Republican Congress. But securing a veto-proof majority will be challenging in both the House and the Senate."

Laura Barron-Lopez reports for The Hill January 3, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"Dems Push Keystone Bill Amendments in Early Senate Test" (Politico)

"Schumer: Obama Should Veto Keystone Jobs Even if Dems Get Every Amendment We Want" (Washington Free Beacon)

"Democrats to Push Clean Energy, Export Limits in Keystone XL Pipeline Bill" (Wall St. Journal)

"Schumer Predicts Democrats Could Sustain Keystone Veto" (Washington Post)

Source: The Hill, 01/05/2015