House Subcommittee Passes Bill To By-Pass President on Keystone XL Pipeline Decision

A bill to bypass President Obama’s authority to decide the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline’s fate passed a House Energy and Commerce subcommitteel on Tuesday.

The Northern Route Approval Act (H.R. 3) passed the Energy and Power subcommittee with a 17-9 vote. All Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with Democratic Reps. John Barrow (Ga.) and Gene Green (Texas) joining them. The bill would strip the need for pipeline builder TransCanada Corp. to receive a cross-border permit from the State Department to construct its northern leg, which would stretch into Canada.

The legislation now proceeds to the full House Energy and Commerce Committee, where it will likely pass. Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) has said he wants to get the bill called on the House floor before Memorial Day. (The Hill, 4/16/2013)