'Swampy': Manchin, Tester vote to kill pro-Keystone amendment after voting for it; Senate Democrats flip-flop on Keystone pipeline in COVID-19 ‘vote-a-rama’

Leigh Vogel/Pool via AP

'Swampy': Manchin, Tester vote to kill pro-Keystone amendment after voting for it:

Moderate Democrats allow Schumer to strip pro-pipeline language from budget resolution

Senate Republicans were buoyant when two Democrats joined them in passing a pro-Keystone XL amendment as part of the overnight marathon budget debate, but the GOP elation was short-lived.

After voting for the measure to support the pipeline, Sens. Joe Manchin and Jon Tester voted against it, joining the rest of the Democratic caucus early Friday in passing an amendment by Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer to strip the Keystone XL language from the budget resolution.

What frustrated supporters is that a vote from either Mr. Manchin or Mr. Tester would have saved the Keystone amendment, sponsored by Sen. Steve Daines, Montana Republican, aimed at boosting legislation to authorize the pipeline after President Biden killed it on his first day in office.

A Daines spokesperson blasted the flip-flop, saying that the Democrats “caved to Schumer and the far-left agenda, all while abandoning Keystone.”

“In the wee hours of the morning, in the most DC swampy way possible, Senate Democrats flip-flopped on their support for American energy and union jobs by killing Senator Daines‘ Keystone XL Pipeline amendment and another supporting fracking,” said the Daines press release. “They thought they could get away with it while the American people were asleep.” --->READ MORE HERE

REUTERS

Senate Democrats flip-flop on Keystone pipeline in COVID-19 ‘vote-a-rama’:

Two Senate Democrats are facing criticism for voting to defy President Biden and overrule his decision to kill the Keystone XL oil pipeline — before later voting to reverse themselves.

Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Joe Manchin of West Virginia initially voted for a Republican amendment that would have put support for the pipeline in the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that Democrats are drafting under budget reconciliation.

Their votes meant the amendment passed 52-48 just before midnight, threatening to reverse Biden’s decision last month to end construction of the pipeline from Canada, citing environmental concerns but costing thousands of jobs.

But before final passage, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduced an amendment that removed the Keystone XL provision and two others, including an amendment from Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) that was approved 57-43 preemptively opposing any ban on fracking. --->READ MORE HERE

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