Louisiana Senate Race Update 2014: Keystone XL Pipeline Vote Expected as Mary Landrieu Seeks 60th Voter

By Michael Oleaga Nov 19 2014, 09:01 AM EST

The U.S. Senate has been debating on the Keystone XL pipeline legislation following a vote push by Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. Landrieu has insisted the recent effort to vote on the bill is not political as she faces a runoff election following the midterm Election Day.

Politicians and pundits have viewed Landrieu's sudden push for the Keystone XL pipeline as an effort to secure an election win on Dec. 6. Landrieu is facing a runoff election against Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, an author of the House of Representatives' version of the Keystone XL pipeline bill, since no candidate received 50.1 percent of the vote. The Democratic incumbent finished 1-percentage point ahead of Republican candidate Cassidy.

"It's too little too late. Everybody gets the joke, right?" Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said last week. "That under the current management she couldn't even get a vote on this piece of legislation that might actually have been helpful to her on Nov. 4. And now they are going to do it before Dec. 6. I think people are smarter than that."

According to supporters of the Senate bill, 59 senators have announced their intention to vote for the legislation, including 45 Republicans and 14 Democrats. Proponents of the bill need 60 total votes necessary for passage.

"I think we'll get there, yeah. But I don't know for sure until we have the vote," said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., a co-sponsor of the bill. Reuters noted Hoeven has plans to reintroduce the bill in January with the Republican-controlled Senate if the vote fails tonight.

Proponents of the legislation claimed the Keystone XL pipeline will create 40,000 construction jobs but on a temporary basis, while the U.S. Department of State revealed only 35 jobs would be permanent.

The Keystone XL pipeline bill passed in the House of Representatives while the Senate was scheduled to vote on the legislation by Tuesday. The Keystone XL pipeline vote comes after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., "resisted calls" to pick up the bill for a vote.

As Latin Post reported, President Barack Obama is expected to veto the Keystone XL pipeline legislation if the bill is approved in the Senate.

For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com.