WASHINGTON (AP) - In a combustible blend of oil and politics, the Democratic-controlled Senate rejected legislation Tuesday night to force completion of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Republicans vowed to resurrect the controversial issue soon after taking two-house control of Congress in January.
The 59-41 Senate vote was one short of the 60 needed to clear the House-passed measure, and marked a severe blow to embattled Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. While President Barack Obama and much of her party oppose the bill, the third-term Democrat had commandeered control of the chamber's agenda in hopes of securing approval of the project and boosting her chances in an uphill Dec. 6 runoff election.
All 45 Senate Republicans supported the legislation to build the Canada-to-Texas pipeline. Only 14 of 55 Democrats and allied independents joined them, a total that didn't budge despite an appeal by the Louisiana Democrat behind closed doors a few hours before the vote.
The vote was one of the last acts of this Senate controlled by the Democrats. It is expected to complete its work by mid-December.
But Republicans said a pipeline replay with the potential to spark a veto confrontation with Obama would be coming - and soon.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and the incoming majority leader, said within minutes of the vote, "I look forward to the new Republican majority taking up and passing the Keystone jobs bill early in the new year."
Her political career in jeopardy, Landrieu told reporters, "I'm going to fight for the people of my state until the day that I leave, and I hope that will not be soon."
Rep. Bill Cassidy, Landrieu's Republican opponent, said that Louisiana families "need better jobs, better wages and better benefits," and the pipeline would provide them.
Democratic divisions were on vivid display in a bill that pitted environmentalists against energy advocates.
Among Senate Democrats, 14 had publicly announced their support for the bill in the hours before the vote, but several whom Landrieu had hoped would provide the critical 60th vote needed for passage failed to step forward.
Several Democrats said the issue was discussed at some length at a weekly closed-door meeting of the party's senators. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a supporter of the bill, said Landrieu pointed out that "this vote is going to happen, whether it happens now or it happens in January, same outcome, so why not do it now? She brought it to a head."
The project would move oil from Canada into the United States and eventually to the Gulf Coast. Supporters say it would create jobs and ease American dependence on Middle East oil. A government environmental impact statement also predicts that a pipeline would result in less damage to the climate than moving the same oil by rail.
Critics argue that the drilling itself is environmentally harmful, and said much of the Canadian crude would be exported with little or no impact on America's drive for energy stability.
Roll Call Vote
The 59-41 roll call Tuesday by which the Senate failed to reach the 60 votes needed to advance a bill to force completion of the Keystone XL pipeline.
A "yes" vote is a vote to advance the bill.
Voting yes were 14 Democrats and 45 Republicans.
Voting no were 39 Democrats, 0 Republicans and 2 independents.
ALABAMA
Sessions (R), Yes; Shelby (R), Yes.
ALASKA
Begich (D), Yes; Murkowski (R), Yes.
ARIZONA
Flake (R), Yes; McCain (R), Yes.
ARKANSAS
Boozman (R), Yes; Pryor (D), Yes.
CALIFORNIA
Boxer (D), No; Feinstein (D), No.
COLORADO
Bennet (D), Yes; Udall (D), No.
CONNECTICUT
Blumenthal (D), No; Murphy (D), No.
DELAWARE
Carper (D), Yes; Coons (D), No.
FLORIDA
Nelson (D), No; Rubio (R), Yes.
GEORGIA
Chambliss (R), Yes; Isakson (R), Yes.
HAWAII
Hirono (D), No; Schatz (D), No.
IDAHO
Crapo (R), Yes; Risch (R), Yes.
ILLINOIS
Durbin (D), No; Kirk (R), Yes.
INDIANA
Coats (R), Yes; Donnelly (D), Yes.
IOWA
Grassley (R), Yes; Harkin (D), No.
KANSAS
Moran (R), Yes; Roberts (R), Yes.
KENTUCKY
McConnell (R), Yes; Paul (R), Yes.
LOUISIANA
Landrieu (D), Yes; Vitter (R), Yes.
MAINE
Collins (R), Yes; King (I), No.
MARYLAND
Cardin (D), No; Mikulski (D), No.
MASSACHUSETTS
Markey (D), No; Warren (D), No.
MICHIGAN
Levin (D), No; Stabenow (D), No.
MINNESOTA
Franken (D), No; Klobuchar (D), No.
MISSISSIPPI
Cochran (R), Yes; Wicker (R), Yes.
MISSOURI
Blunt (R), Yes; McCaskill (D), Yes.
MONTANA
Tester (D), Yes; Walsh (D), Yes.
NEBRASKA
Fischer (R), Yes; Johanns (R), Yes.
NEVADA
Heller (R), Yes; Reid (D), No.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Ayotte (R), Yes; Shaheen (D), No.
NEW JERSEY
Booker (D), No; Menendez (D), No.
NEW MEXICO
Heinrich (D), No; Udall (D), No.
NEW YORK
Gillibrand (D), No; Schumer (D), No.
NORTH CAROLINA
Burr (R), Yes; Hagan (D), Yes.
NORTH DAKOTA
Heitkamp (D), Yes; Hoeven (R), Yes.
OHIO
Brown (D), No; Portman (R), Yes.
OKLAHOMA
Coburn (R), Yes; Inhofe (R), Yes.
OREGON
Merkley (D), No; Wyden (D), No.
PENNSYLVANIA
Casey (D), Yes; Toomey (R), Yes.
RHODE ISLAND
Reed (D), No; Whitehouse (D), No.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Graham (R), Yes; Scott (R), Yes.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Johnson (D), No; Thune (R), Yes.
TENNESSEE
Alexander (R), Yes; Corker (R), Yes.
TEXAS
Cornyn (R), Yes; Cruz (R), Yes.
UTAH
Hatch (R), Yes; Lee (R), Yes.
VERMONT
Leahy (D), No; Sanders (I), No.
VIRGINIA
Kaine (D), No; Warner (D), Yes.
WASHINGTON
Cantwell (D), No; Murray (D), No.
WEST VIRGINIA
Manchin (D), Yes; Rockefeller (D), No.
WISCONSIN
Baldwin (D), No; Johnson (R), Yes.
WYOMING
Barrasso (R), Yes; Enzi (R), Yes.