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Big Oily Disgrace: 17 Senate Dems Join Republicans In Passing Measure Supporting Keystone XL
Seventeen Senate Democrats ignored the facts about Keystone XL, and joined with Republicans to pass a measure urging the construction of the pipeline.
The Hovan Amendment (494) passed the Senate by a vote of 62-37. 17 Democrats joined with Republicans in getting the non-binding measure passed.
The amendment repeated all of the Big Oil lies about Keystone XL, “The Hoeven-Baucus measure established a formal recognition by the U.S. Senate that the Keystone XL pipeline, a major energy infrastructure project, will boost the nation’s economic growth and contribute revenues to the United States Treasury. Just prior to passage of the Hoeven-Baucus Amendment, a second amendment that attempted to put delays and restrictions on the project was defeated by a vote of 33 to 66, making it very clear that the Administration should not delay or put more restrictions on the Keystone XL pipeline.”
The amendment was co-sponsored by Democrats Baucus (D-MT), Manchin (D-WV), Heitkamp (D-ND), Landrieu (D-LA), and Begich (D-AK). Besides coming from states where oil plays a big role in the economy, each of these Democrats have also taken hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars from Big Oil.
According to The Price of Oil,
Senator Baucus has received more than $680,000 from fossil fuel interests
Senator Manchin has received more than $1 MILLION from fossil fuel interests
Senator Heitkamp has received $47,450 from fossil fuel interests (in just one Senate race in a small state)
Senator Landrieu has received more than $1.25 MILLION from fossil fuel interests
Senator Begich has received more than $212,000 from fossil fuel interests (in just one Senate race)
The five Democratic co-sponsors were joined by Democrats, Bennet (D-CO), Carper (D-DE), Casey (D-PA), Coons (D-DE), Donnelly (D-IN), Hagan (D-NC), Johnson (D-SD), McCaskill (D-MO), Nelson (D-FL), Pryor (D-AR), Tester (D-MT), Warner (D-VA).
Sen. Heitkamp repeated the falsehoods that Keystone XL will be a job creator that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil, “I support this amendment because the Keystone XL pipeline will create good-paying American jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. This project has undergone a thorough review and it is time to approve construction of the pipeline.”
The truth is that these seventeen Democrats chose to vote in favor of a lie, instead of going home and telling their constituents the truth about Keystone XL. They didn’t want to have to defend a no vote on this amendment by admitting that Keystone XL won’t create jobs. The pipeline won’t boost our economy, and since all of the oil will belong to the oil companies, it won’t help our country become more energy independent.
Some of the same Senate Democrats that many of you worked hard to elect have taken Big Oil’s money, and turned their backs on their supporters. The good news is that the amendment was non-binding, but these Democrats have made their intentions clear. Keystone XL will only help Big Oil get richer, while America will be stuck with a the ticking time bomb of pipeline that will be an environmental disaster waiting to happen.
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13 Responses to Big Oily Disgrace: 17 Senate Dems Join Republicans In Passing Measure Supporting Keystone XL
Sally
Mar. 22nd, 2013 at 10:06 pm
My God. The Kochs and the oil magnates are winning. They and the Supreme Court are taking over our country. Please, Mr. President, do NOT get sucked into this evil plan. That pipeline will do nothing except ruin our air, land, and water resources. If it’s so awesome, why is TransCanada so anxious to run this disgusting mess through our heartland instead of their own?
Sandra
Mar. 23rd, 2013 at 9:12 pm
Canadian oil will be going on the world market to the highest bidder, not to the US as per PM Steven Harper. So why are the R’thugs selling this lie when the Canadian Government has already stated that. Canada needs the pipeline going thru the US to get their polluted oil onto the world market. There won’t be any thousands of jobs for America and the jobs (20) I think was the # will not boost the economy. Your environment will be trashed should any of the pipiline develop a leak because the oil is toxic.
Shiva(Moderator)
Mar. 22nd, 2013 at 10:29 pm
If anyone doubts we need to clean congress out then re-read this article. We have traitors with guns and traitors with oil slicks in their bank accounts. Ever wonder if they gave you a second thought?
Canada will not let them run this pipe across to Vancouver, they think its better to ruin our resources. I am sure they would be happy to sell us their clean water when the pipe goes bust.
We need a stop Rush organization that promotes telling the public how much money these people get from guns, oil, plastics you name it. Spread it across the US. There might even be an intelligent republican out there that will listen.
tz
Mar. 22nd, 2013 at 10:40 pm
“Senator Baucus has received more than $680,000 from fossil fuel interests
Senator Manchin has received more than $1 MILLION from fossil fuel interests
Senator Heitkamp has received $47,450 from fossil fuel interests (in just one Senate race in a small state)
Senator Landrieu has received more than $1.25 MILLION from fossil fuel interests
Senator Begich has received more than $212,000 from fossil fuel interests (in just one Senate race)”
Considering be stupendous amount of profits that these fossil fuel interests are feeding these esteemed senators, you can only conclude that these senators are EXTREMELY cheap whores.
The “best” government that money can buy.
Unfortunately, bought government is hardly the best. Lobbying is de facto corruption.
Will Courtain
Mar. 23rd, 2013 at 12:30 am
Like the Affordable Care Act, Obama Care, we need to approve the Pipeline and build it so we can find out if it is good for America.
djchefron(Moderator)
Mar. 23rd, 2013 at 12:40 am
How would it be good for America?I can see the stockholders getting paid but….
Six reasons Keystone XL was a bad deal all along
Read more: www.foxnews.com/opinion/2...
Notice this is from fox
Gigi Jacobs
Mar. 23rd, 2013 at 4:56 am
Will,
While the Affordable Care Act is not as good as a single payer system, we actually have ways of testing things prior to putting them into practice. Onc of the methods you mind be unfamiliar with: Math was used to see how the Act would affect the economy and an 800 billion dollar savings is a good thing and doesn’t need to be put into practice blindly as it proved beforehand to be valuable and is proving to be so in practice. Unlike the Affordable Care Act, the forecast for the pipeline shows it not to be good for America and need not be put into practice to find this out. Will, where have you been for so many decades? In the year 2013, we have been testing aircraft, cars, and many things through math models, 3D computers and such and have known the likely hood of success with each of these before ever putting them into use.
You really need to read about the “primitive” brain found in 80% of conservatives which is left over from millions of years ago (but then again, you don’t believe in math for you probably also think the planet is a few thousand years old). Regardless, fMRI studies started in 2009 and retested many times have shown that a majority of conservatives lack the ability to use critical thinking-seems you might want to get a scan yourself for your comment is reflective of a lack of development in the anterior cingulate cortex.
Susan Shawn
Mar. 23rd, 2013 at 1:24 pm
It might be a more effective post if you were to simply list the Democratic Senators and their States in a box, so everyone can see them, and share. Sometimes if a post is too long and confused in a graphic sense, people don’t “grok” it. Anyone game to try this?
djchefron(Moderator)
Mar. 23rd, 2013 at 4:46 pm
Here are the Democrats who voted for the Hoeven Amendment that expressed the Senate’s approval of the Keystone XL pipeline: Sens. Max Baucus (Mont.), Mark Begich (Alaska), Michael Bennet (Colo.), Tom Carper (Del.), Bob Casey (Pa.), Chris Coons (Del.), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Kay Hagan (N.C.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Tim Johnson (S.D.), Mary Landrieu (La.), Joe Manchin (W. Va.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Bill Nelson (Fla.), Mark Pryor (Ark.), Jon Tester (Mont.) and Mark Warner (Va.). Interestingly, Jay Rockefeller (W. Va.) voted against it. He’s retiring, so he apparently was allowed to vote his conscience.
PSzymeczek
Mar. 23rd, 2013 at 4:51 pm
I knew Manchin was in the pocket of the fossil fuel interests when he was Governor of West Virginia. www.burningthefuture.com
503me
Mar. 23rd, 2013 at 5:00 pm
What isn’t mentioned is that the states that this pipeline will go thruough, more than one governor has investments as does Speaker Boehner. This is crony capitilization at its worst. We the people will need to stand up against this ‘proposed destruction’ of our earth. They can’t get it through in Canada, so they think that American people are so stupid, that they would have no problem taking this pipeline down to Houston to refine. Also, all holding tanks along the pipelines already there will have to be emptied, because tar sands are so dirty and toxic,which means that gas prices will go up the Midwest. If it should spill(over 12 spills in Canada) it goes over the Midwest aqua fir and if it spilled could contaminate the main underground water for their farms and wells. All told, it is estimated that maybe 30 to 40 full time jobs and to make the pipeline, they won’t use any local help,as they will bring in their own specialized workers. So all the USA gets out of this, is to make those american investors richer, raise the price of gas and submit Houston to the most toxic oils to refine. Just say NO
richard bowen
Mar. 26th, 2013 at 9:32 pm
you cant drink oil
Donna R. Bannister
Mar. 26th, 2013 at 10:38 pm
The Senators that voted for the XL Pipeline sit in their tidy little office and think what will this pipeline do for me? Most of the Democrats that voted for this XL pipeline know it will not run through their states. They won’t have to tolerate the mess if a joint of the pipeline breaks. We have Pipelines on top of pipelines and the earthquakes are getting worse each day. Mary Landeau of La. has sinkholes with oil and gas bubbling out of the ground,and the people can’t even live in their homes. Mr President please Veto this Pipeline. We all need to stand up against this. It’s time to say no more.