Senate passes Keystone XL pipeline bill despite Obama promise to veto

[RickBean]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-passes-keystone-xl-pipeline-bill-despite-obama-promise-to-veto/2015/01/29/3dae7d20-a7e8-11e4-a2b2-776095f393b2_story.html

Well, repubs passes keystone, and if we all can remember Obama promised to veto... How do you think, will Obama pass this, or maybe he will understand that Keystone is very harmful project. Also, Obama sign a bill about pollution of environment and if Keystone will be approved... Does it mean that these agreement will be just 2nd Kyoto protocol?
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/11/11/fact-sheet-us-china-joint-announcement-climate-change-and-clean-energy-c

 

[HomerJS]

Nebraska landowners have filed a lawsuit to stop so I guess he will veto.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Nebraska landowners have filed a lawsuit to stop so I guess he will veto.

According to the NY Times and Think progress articles that has been settled. Though I'm sure Obama will stay true to his promise to veto any Keystone XL pipeline bills.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/30/us/politics/keystone-xl-pipeline-bill-senate-vote.html

After that review was released, Mr. Obama said that he would not issue a decision until a court case in Nebraska over the pipeline’s route was settled. Earlier this month, the Nebraska court cleared the way for the pipeline’s construction through that state.

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/01/09/3600136/nebraska-keystone-xl-decision/

The Nebraska Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s decision that nullified the controversial Keystone XL pipeline route through Nebraska Friday, meaning that Keystone XL once again has a legal route through Nebraska.

 

[brycejones]

The President "passes" no legislation. Hey may sign the bill or veto it.

If he vetos it though I'm waiting for the OP to post a thread about how Obama hates working Americans or something....

Posting in a RickBean thread.

 

[Jaskalas]

Did Democrats not have the votes for a fillibuster?

First time in 7 years they haven't acted as the President's veto.

 

[Smoblikat]

Whats the problem with Keystone? It seems like it will bring a lot of cheap oil directly into the country.

 

[pcgeek11]

Whats the problem with Keystone? It seems like it will bring a lot of cheap oil directly into the country.

King Obama is flexing his might upon the American people. He is an asshole that doesn't care what the people want.

 

[rudeguy]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2418925

 

[Bowfinger]

Repost, though that's not obvious from the other thread's title.

 

[Bitek]

King Obama is flexing his might upon the American people. He is an asshole that doesn't care what the [Canadian Oil companies who gave lots of money to the GOP] want.

Truth. Good start to the new GOP Senate when the first order of business is doing the bidding of foreign corporations.

Concern for American infrastructure/jobs/wage growth/equality? Not so much.

How many bridges do we need built, but Republicans are busy using eminent domain to seize land to give away to foreign oil companies, as their top priority no less....

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Did Democrats not have the votes for a fillibuster?

First time in 7 years they haven't acted as the President's veto.

Reid is gone so they have to actually vote and go on record. Republicans have allowed Democrats in the Senate a couple dozen amendments so far this year which now exceeds the total number Democrats allowed in all of 2014.

 

[rudeguy]

Reid is gone so they have to actually vote and go on record. Republicans have allowed Democrats in the Senate a couple dozen amendments so far this year which now exceeds the total number Democrats allowed in all of 2014.

I think that is the part that made me so mad: the Senate couldn't actually get its job done. Make amendments, vote on bills, that is what they do. If the bill fails, democracy worked. If the bill passes, democracy worked. But what happened the last few years Congress was not democracy.

 

[fskimospy]

I think that is the part that made me so mad: the Senate couldn't actually get its job done. Make amendments, vote on bills, that is what they do. If the bill fails, democracy worked. If the bill passes, democracy worked. But what happened the last few years Congress was not democracy.

Yet I'm sure you had no problem with the filibuster, which took an already largely undemocratic institution and made it even less democratic.

Both blocking amendments and filibusters are ways to prevent the passage of items that have majority support. I don't like either of them. What about you?

 

[rudeguy]

Yet I'm sure you had no problem with the filibuster, which took an already largely undemocratic institution and made it even less democratic.

Both blocking amendments and filibusters are ways to prevent the passage of items that have majority support. I don't like either of them. What about you?

You are wrong again.

Vote on the damn thing, that's what you get paid for. If it fails, it fails. If it passes, it passes.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Yet I'm sure you had no problem with the filibuster, which took an already largely undemocratic institution and made it even less democratic.

Both blocking amendments and filibusters are ways to prevent the passage of items that have majority support. I don't like either of them. What about you?

If you aren't allowed to propose amendments or up-and-down votes on bipartisan House legislation...one's options become extremely limited.

 

[Matt1970]

Truth. Good start to the new GOP Senate when the first order of business is doing the bidding of foreign corporations.

Concern for American infrastructure/jobs/wage growth/equality? Not so much.

How many bridges do we need built, but Republicans are busy using eminent domain to seize land to give away to foreign oil companies, as their top priority no less....

Except once again what the people want and what Obama wants are 2 different things.

Support strongly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31%
Support somewhat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25%
Oppose somewhat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10%
Oppose strongly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12%
Not sure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21%

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/19/keystone-xl-poll_n_6186606.html

 

[fskimospy]

If you aren't allowed to propose amendments or up-and-down votes on bipartisan House legislation...one's options become extremely limited.

It's ironic that you would be use the lack of ability to have up or down votes for things in defense of the filibuster, being that the filibuster's entire purpose is to prevent up or down votes.

Don't make excuses for them, call out the GOP for acting in an undemocratic manner. If what Reid was doing was wrong (and it was), what the GOP was doing was just as bad. (worse actually, considering they were also obstructing the staffing of the government until they were stopped)

 

[fskimospy]

Except once again what the people want and what Obama wants are 2 different things.

Support strongly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31%
Support somewhat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25%
Oppose somewhat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10%
Oppose strongly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12%
Not sure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21%

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/19/keystone-xl-poll_n_6186606.html

I sincerely doubt you want to invoke public opinion as a basis for passing legislation. The Democratic platform generally polls much better in that way than the Republican platform does. (if we did it that way you would need to prepare for a wave of new gun control laws, minimum wage increases, etc, etc)

 

[HomerJS]

Except once again what the people want and what Obama wants are 2 different things.

Support strongly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31%
Support somewhat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25%
Oppose somewhat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10%
Oppose strongly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12%
Not sure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21%

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/19/keystone-xl-poll_n_6186606.html

If you ask supporters if they know that pipeline is for transporting tar sands oil from Canada to the open market, I suspect answers would change.

 

[Matt1970]

If you ask supporters if they know that pipeline is for transporting tar sands oil from Canada to the open market, I suspect answers would change.

Well I am sure people don't think it is carrying milk.

 

[rudeguy]

I sincerely doubt you want to invoke public opinion as a basis for passing legislation. The Democratic platform generally polls much better in that way than the Republican platform does. (if we did it that way you would need to prepare for a wave of new gun control laws, minimum wage increases, etc, etc)

Well if you add the fact that the American people voted in agreement with those numbers, I'd say they are accurate.

 

[fskimospy]

Well if you add the fact that the American people voted in agreement with those numbers, I'd say they are accurate.

I also sincerely doubt you want to go with what the majority of people vote for as a basis of what you want to do. (hint: the Democrats win the majority of votes nationally most of the time too) Odd that I didn't see you arguing against the legitimacy of the Republican house majority despite the fact that the Democrats won the majority of the House votes in 2012.

Republicans owe their majorities in large part to the built-in advantages given to sparsely populated areas.

 

[Matt1970]

I sincerely doubt you want to invoke public opinion as a basis for passing legislation. The Democratic platform generally polls much better in that way than the Republican platform does. (if we did it that way you would need to prepare for a wave of new gun control laws, minimum wage increases, etc, etc)

Gun control support is actually on the decline.

Have you have been watching many polls lately?

Support for stricter gun control laws on the decline. Support for ACA on the decline.

 

[Matt1970]

I also sincerely doubt you want to go with what the majority of people vote for as a basis of what you want to do. (hint: the Democrats win the majority of votes nationally most of the time too) Odd that I didn't see you arguing against the legitimacy of the Republican house majority despite the fact that the Democrats won the majority of the House votes in 2012.

Republicans owe their majorities in large part to the built-in advantages given to sparsely populated areas.

Dude, please. 2012 was 47.6% to 48.8% win for the Dems and that was supposed to be enough to undo a 49 seat advantage? That 49 seat advantage came about from a 51.7% to 44.9% win in 2010.

 

[fskimospy]

Gun control support is actually on the decline.

Have you have been watching many polls lately?

Support for stricter gun control laws on the decline. Support for ACA on the decline.

Yes I have been. There is in fact overwhelming support for a bunch of new gun control laws like universal background checks, etc. There is overwhelming support for increased minimum wage, mandatory paid sick time, and all sorts of other increased regulations.

If you look at polling on the ACA, when people are asked if they support reforming it or keeping it as it is (broadly the Democratic position) or repealing it (broadly the Republican position) they overwhelmingly choose the Democratic position on that as well.

I'm not arguing that we should use polls to make policy, but I also know that someone who is broadly conservative should DEFINITELY not want to do that, as you'd lose. A lot.