Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, Texas Republican, said Monday it remains to be seen whether there will be the necessary two-thirds vote to override a presidential veto on legislation authorizing construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
“We’ll pass it with I think there’s 63 votes, approximately, to pass the bill, which will get it out of the Senate. The question is whether [it] will override a presidential veto. That remains a work in progress,” Mr. Cornyn said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
The Senate is poised to take a procedural step on the measure Monday after the House voted to approve the pipeline on Friday, though the 266-153 vote signals there is not sufficient support in the House to override a pledged veto from the White House, either.
The House has voted multiple times to approve the pipeline only to see the issue bottled up in a Democratic-led Senate. Republican leaders have said passing the legislation approving the pipeline would be a top priority for the new GOP-led Congress.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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