"NO" to Pipeline

Details

Created on Wednesday, 19 November 2014 14:20

Written by Cassandra Bernier

NATIONWIDE- The United States Senate has voted down the bill to authorize the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

The bill failed to overcome the 60-vote threshold that it needed. Results of the vote was 59-41. All 45 Republicans voted in support of the pipeline.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders voted against the pipeline. He said, "The scientific community is telling us that we have a narrow window of opportunity to address the crisis of climate change and to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and into energy efficiency and sustainable energy. This legislation would move us in exactly the wrong direction toward not only more dependence fossil fuels but on some of theof dirtiest fossil fuels imaginable. This is insane."

The Keystone XL pipeline would help connect existing piplines from Canada to the Gulf Coast. Three phases of the pipeline are already finished, but the fourth phase had to be approved by the Senate.

Phase one was completed in June of 2010, delivering oil from Alberta to Illinois. The second phase ran from Steele City, Nebraska to Oklahoma and was done in February of 2011. The third phase, The Gulf Coast Extension, runs from Oklahona to Texas.

Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy also voted against the final phase of the pipeline, "I hope this will help open the door to a constructive debate about energy policy. We need to continue to promote a cleaner energy future. For our national interest, for our economic vitality, and for cleaner air to counter climate change, America needs renewable enegery sources and greater efficiencies and the new jobs that go with them."