The showdown between the new Republican-controlled Congress and the White House has already begun. On Wednesday, newly elected Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called President Obama out on his vow to veto the first bill of this Republican-controlled Senate. The bill would include legislation to approve the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline that would run from Canada through Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska, where it would connect with an existing system of pipelines to carry more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast.
In his first major floor speech as majority leader, Senator McConnell encouraged bipartisan cooperation on this bill, and major issues, but said they could only be achieved if President Obama is interested in working together.
“And I assure you, threatening to veto a jobs and infrastructure bill within minutes of new Congress taking the oath of office – a bill with strong bipartisan support – is anything but productive,” said McConnell.
John Cornyn, R-Texas, echoed the same concerns, calling the “premature” veto threats “irresponsible and troubling”.
This all following the White House’s threat on Tuesday to veto two pieces of legislation being produced by the new Congress. The first being the approval of the Keystone Pipeline, and the second involving changes to Obamacare. On Wednesday, the White House issued formal statements, pledging its opposition, and vowing to veto both bills.
The White House claimed the legislation would prevent “the thorough consideration of complex issues that could bear on U.S. national interests.”
Of course, yet again the Obama administration wants to obstruct our way of governing ourselves, spending money, and passing laws by allowing a separate State Department review process to ultimately determine the fate of the Keystone Pipeline, but Congressional Republicans say that the process has been underway for years and it is time to take further action.
The veto threat over Keystone sets the tone for the showdown between Obama and the GOP-controlled Congress. The Senate will move ahead with its version of the legislation, and the House will be voting on its version of the legislation on Friday.
If the legislation passes and Obama vetoes, Congress would need to gain a two-thirds majority to pass override. Or, they could do what we all love so much – attach this $8 billion bill to another piece of legislation.
Appalled By The World says: Time for the GOP to do what they were empowered to do. They had better not fail-otherwise, that party will lose all credibility (what’s left of it anyway).
Chris in N.Va. says: Ahh, those lovable Libtards, desperately playing the role of Keystone (Pipeline) Kops, falling all over themselves in a twisted heap as they try to appease the conflicting clamoring voices of their base (and baser groups), the tree/slug-hugging enviro-wackos vs union members who really want the thousands of jobs the pipeline would provide.
Pass the popcorn. Mack Senate lives!
Rebecca says: Bring. It. On.
This very much puts the lie to the Dems saying that the Repubs were the Party of No……but, we clear thinking folks already knew that Harry Reid has been a Party of No unto himself for 6+ years now.
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