“U.S. House Republicans won’t wait for President Barack Obama to issue a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline. They plan to vote by the end of May on legislation that would sidestep the White House and offer congressional approval to the TransCanada Corp. (TRP) project.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton said today that the bill would be on the House floor by Memorial Day.
The measure sponsored by Nebraska Republican Lee Terry is being designated H.R. 3, using one of the numbers held in reserve by Republican leadership for their top-priority bills.
“There is no reason for us to not only refine that oil, but also to keep most of it in the U.S.,” Upton, a Michigan Republican, told a press conference.
The project would cross six states and link the tar sands inAlberta, Canada, to Texas refineries along the Gulf Coast. It requires a presidential permit because it crosses an international border.
In January 2012 the Obama administration rejected a proposed route for the pipeline after concerns were raised about the impact of the project on an ecologically sensitive area inNebraska. The route now under consideration was submitted in May 2012.
