The U.S. House of Representatives has approved the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline from Alberta to Texas, but critics say Friday鈥檚 vote was nothing more than 鈥減olitical theatre鈥� since President Barack Obama has the final say.
The Republican-controlled House voted 252-161 on the bill to approve the pipeline. The House has voted on the same legislation multiple times before and now it will go before the U.S. Senate.
But even if the Senate gives TransCanada鈥檚 Keystone XL the green light, Obama could veto it.
, Obama said his administration鈥檚 review of Keystone XL can鈥檛 be completed before the legal challenge to the pipeline in Nebraska is settled.
He also said he鈥檚 had to 鈥渃onstantly push back against this idea that, somehow, the Keystone pipeline is either this massive jobs bill for the United States or is somehow lowering gas prices.
鈥淯nderstand what this project is: it is providing the ability of Canada to pump their oil, send it through our land, down to the Gulf, where it will be sold everywhere else,鈥� Obama said.
The White House has previously hinted that Obama may veto the bill. Many critics expect that will happen.
鈥淭oday鈥檚 vote is an absolute farce,鈥� the U.S. policy director of 350.org, the group behind many climate-focused campaigns, told
鈥淚t鈥檚 an empty act of political theatre, designed to pay tribute to big oil and embarrass President Obama,鈥� Jason Kowalski said. 鈥淭his decision does not rest with the House, it does not rest with the Senate. It rests solely with the president.鈥�
Dale Marshall, the national program manager for Environmental Defence, said Keystone XL doesn鈥檛 pass 鈥渢he climate test that president Obama laid down himself.鈥�
Marshall said greenhouse emissions will go up 鈥渃onsiderably鈥� if the pipeline is built and he doesn鈥檛 see Obama approving it, given the 鈥渃limate leadership鈥� he has demonstrated.
Still, Alberta Premier Jim Prentice said he鈥檚 鈥渆ncouraged鈥� by Friday鈥檚 vote, though he鈥檚 鈥済uardedly optimistic鈥� about the rest of the approval process.
TransCanada also called the vote a 鈥減ositive step forward.鈥�
鈥淭he good news is that, once again, we have strong bipartisan support,鈥� the company鈥檚 executive vice-president, Alex Pourbaix, told CTV鈥檚 Power Play Friday.
He also said that polls have shown that the majority of Americans support Keystone XL.
Citing a U.S. State Department report, Pourbaix said the pipeline would create about 42,000 jobs south of the border.
Once the pipeline is built, TransCanada would be paying an estimated $100 million per year in U.S. property taxes, Pourbaix said.
The proposed 1,900-kilometre pipeline would extend from the Alberta oilsands through Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska, where it would connect with existing pipelines to carry more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil a day to refineries in Texas.
Those who support the project also say it will make oil transport safer, but environmentalists say dangerous spills could still happen.
With files from The Associated Press
