Washington (AP) - The Republican-controlled senate has passed a bipartisan bill approving construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
The 62-36 vote on Thursday advanced a top priority of the newly empowered GOP, which championed the legislation despite a presidential veto threat. Keystone is the first of many battles with the white house over energy and the environment.
The measure fell short of the threshold needed to override a veto. It also needs to be reconciled with the house version.
The bill authorizes construction of the nearly 1,200-mile pipeline to carry oil primarily from Canada to the gulf coast.