U.S. Capitol building (Photo: Architect of the Capitol)
Wisconsin’s two US Senators remain divided on whether to allow the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline to move forward. The two lawmakers were on opposite sides of Thursday 62-36 vote in the Senate.
Republican Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), who voted with the majority, said “the pipeline is part of ensuring that the private sector’s success in finding new sources of energy in North America will continue.”
He also noted that President Obama’s own State Department found the Keystone to be the most environmentally-friendly method of moving Canadian oil, so there’s no good reason for to keep blocking the project.
Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) was among Democrats who pushed for several amendments to the bill, which were ultimately rejected. In a statement, she said “Republicans rejected efforts I supported to ease this burden and ensure the American economy and consumers would benefit from the pipeline if it were built, while protecting our communities from dirty tar sands oil.”
Baldwin also argued that a decision on the pipeline should come from the Obama administration, and she urged the president to act “without further delay.”