U.S. Senate Rejects Keystone XL Pipeline Project

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Senate did not achieve enough votes to pass an amendment that would advance the Keystone XL Pipeline project.

Authored by Sen. John Hoeven, (R-N.D.), the amendment to the S. 1813 Highway Transportation Bill would have overturned the Obama Administration's denial of a request by TransCanada Corp. to build a more-than-3,000-mile pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

A majority of senators did vote in favor of the Hoeven Amendment. However, "yes" votes only totaled 56, where 60 were needed to pass the amendment. Forty-two senators voted against the Hoeven Amendment.

Prior to the vote, Hoeven pleaded with his fellow senators to approve his amendment because it would more easily bring fuel from the Canadian Oil Sands to the United States and also provide many jobs for Americans.

However, those opposed said that TransCanada would put the oil up for sale on the export market, as opposed to fulfilling supply needs for Americans.

The U.S. Senate could have overturned the Jan. 18 Obama Administration rejection via the commerce clause of the Constitution.