The Senate voted Thursday to approve the Keystone XL pipeline in spite of President Barack Obama's threat to veto the controversial bill. Nine Democrats joined the entire Republican caucus to pass the bill in a 62-36 vote. Now, it's up to the House and Senate to finalize one version of the bill before sending to the president's desk.

"Constructing Keystone would pump billions into our economy. It would support thousands of good American jobs," Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday morning before the vote. "And as the president's own State Department has indicated, it would do this with minimal environmental impact," added the Republican leader, according to USA Today.

McConnell later said the pipeline would bring many jobs.

"We're hoping the president, upon reflection, will read and sign a bill that the State Department says could create 42,000 jobs," he said.

Republican House Speaker John Boehner praised the Senate for passing the bill.

"I'd like to congratulate Sen. McConnell for passing this bill in an open, inclusive and bipartisan way," he said. "After dropping his scheme to tax middle-class college savings, we hope President Obama will now drop his threat to veto this commonsense bill that would strengthen our energy security and create thousands and thousands of new, good-paying American jobs."

The president, however, has consistently said he will veto the bill should it get to his desk.

Although Republicans argue the pipeline will create thousands of new jobs and reduce gas prices, environmentalists say the pipeline would bring heavy tar sands oil from Canada across the middle of the United Sates to a port on the Gulf of Mexico. In turn, this will contribute to climate change and pollute the environment, reports MSNBC.

Obama has also pointed out the construction of the pipeline would only increase temporary jobs for American workers, while creating just 35-50 permanent jobs.

Related