Durbin a ‘No’ Vote on Approving Keystone XL Pipeline

John Gregory -- Illinois Radio Network

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is predicting a close vote in the Senate on the Keystone oil pipeline.

A bill approving the next phase of the project passed in the House, and will likely be considered in the Senate Tuesday. Durbin says he’ll vote against it, but by his count, the bill is close to getting the 60 votes it needs to clear any attempt at a filibuster.

“It’s close. One or two votes will decide whether it goes forward,” Durbin said today (Monday). “I do believe we should let the president go through the orderly process of reviewing this from an environmental basis, and I will not be voting for this expedited approach.”

President Obama has indicated he’d veto the bill because the environmental impact study has not been completed by the State Department.

U.S. Sen. Mark S. Kirk (R-Ill.) has said he’ll vote for the bill because of the jobs it will supposedly bring to Illinois. Durbin says those jobs were a part of an already-completed phase of the project, which carries oil from Canada to Marion County.