“We may not have enough to overcome a veto, so it may be a two-step process,” Hoeven told Reuters.Obama, who has been considering the pipeline for six years, has opposed previous bills to force the project through, saying the State Department needs to complete its regulatory process. If he rejects this bill, Keystone backers will attempt to attach the measure to wider legislation Obama could find harder to veto, perhaps legislation on energy efficiency, exporting natural gas, or on appropriations.
As beginnings go, confronting the president on an issue he’s been insanely intractable about isn’t a bad one for the new Senate majority. This is a direct push at Obama’s most rigid ideology-climate change hysteria-and sends a message about “a new tone in Washington.” Who knows, maybe will get lucky and some Republicans will actually enjoy having the upper hand and will continue pressing their advantage.
A guy can dream, can’t he?
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