Today, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved legislation to force construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. It was marked-up in a 13 to 9 vote.
All Republicans supported the measure. They were joined by a lone Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.).
But before passage, the Committee had to address an amendment proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) that would compel Congress to agree that anthropogenic climate change isn’t a hoax.
“This is the Energy Committee of the United States Congress, so we have to make a very fundamental decision,” he said to his colleagues. “Do we agree with the international scientific community that climate change is real or do we not?”
To get an answer to that question, Sen. Sanders introduced a “sense of Congress” amendment that compels lawmakers to agree with “virtually the entire worldwide scientific community and a growing number of top national security experts, economists, and others” on four key points: Climate change is real; it’s caused by human activity; it has already caused devastating problems in the US and around the world; and that it is imperative “that the United States transform its energy system away from fossil fuels and toward energy efficiency and sustainable energy.”
“I like the first three,” Sen. Manchin chimed in, saying he opposes the fourth clause because, he claimed, it would “cripple ourselves” while the rest of the world refuses to follow suit.
“Well, you got all four, Joe,” Sen. Sanders responded, refusing to alter his amendment.
After a somewhat lighthearted back and forth between the two over options to “amend the amendment,” Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) called for it to be tabled.
The Committee promptly voted to do just that, and in a 13 to 9 vote, Sen. Sanders’ amendment was dismissed from further consideration.
The full Senate is expected to take up the Keystone XL bill next week, at which point Sen. Sanders will have another chance to offer his amendment. Other Democratic Senators are planning to introduce a floor amendment, which would mandate that pipeline construction materials be made in the United States. Another provision that is expected to be attached by Democratic Senators would require resources derived from Canadian tar sands be made available in the US energy market.
The White House said this week that it would veto the legislation, as The Sentinel reported, due to concerns that it would infringe upon an executive branch deliberative process.
