http://www.nationalreview.com/corner Mary Landrieu’s Last-Ditch Keystone Effort
By Andrew Johnson
November 12, 2014 3:33 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKeFphdXIZ4Locked in a tough runoff to hold on to her seat, Senator Mary Landrieu (D., La.) presented herself as a champion of the Keystone XL pipeline on Thursday, calling for a vote of its construction as quickly as possible on the Senate floor. Landrieu said she would ask for unanimous consent later in the day to start debating a bill on the pipeline on Wednesday night, and hopes to vote on it on Thursday.
“I want to say ‘yes’ to new majority leader Mitch McConnell,” she said, distancing herself from outgoing majority leader Harry Reid (D., Nev). “The time to start is now.”
Landrieu referenced her runoff against Republican congressman Bill Cassidy during her near-hour-long time on the floor, while also highlighting her roles as chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. She was joined on the floor by other red-state, pro-Keystone Democrats such as North Dakota’s Heidi Heitkamp and West Virginia’s Joe Manchin.
The Washington Post reported that Senate Democrats were considering voting on a bill that includes the pipeline as a tactical maneuver to boost Landrieu ahead for her runoff. But House Republicans moved to set a vote on the Cassidy-sponsored Keystone-related bill for Thursday as well.
