House 252-161 - Directs Administration to Proceed on Keystone XL
The vote: http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/113/house/2/519
The bill: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c113:H.R.5682:
The story: House Passes Bill Directing Obama to Proceed on Keystone Pipeline
November 18, 2014 Senate Vote 280
Senate 59 yes -41 no (bill fails)
Yes: MO Senator (coal D-MO) Claire McCaskill
Yes: MO Senator (coal R-MO) Roy Blunt
The vote: http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/113/senate/2/280
The bill: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-113s2280pcs/pdf/BILLS-113s2280pcs.pdf
Jan. 5, 2015 US Senate (after new Republican majority takes over)
S.1. Introduced in the Senate "Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act"
In an attempt to get the bill passed, amendments are encouraged.
Jan. 21, 2015 US Senate
Two votes on amendments declaring that humans are causing climate change are defeated.
But, Rand Paul (R-KY) voted yes.
Jan. 22, 2015 US Senate
Amendment offered by Bernie Sanders (I-VT) defeated 56-42
"that declared that climate change is real, is caused by humans and wreaks devastation. The amendment also called on the federal government to lead the way in the national transition away from dependence on fossil fuels." (story)
Amendment offered by Joe Manchin (coal D-WV) defeated 54-46
"that also declared human-caused climate change to be real and devastating, and urged the government to support research on technologies that would capture carbon emissions from fossil fuels." (story)
Amendment offered by Roy Blunt (coal R-MO) defeated 51-46
called on the Senate to nullify a climate change agreement in November between the United States and China in which both nations pledged to reduce their carbon emissions. (story)
Amendment offered by Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) & Bernie Sanders (I-VT) passes 98-1. Senate rejects that climate change is caused by humans, but accepts that climate change is real, but not a hoax.
Story: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/23/us/politics/senate-rejects-human-role-in-climate-change.html
Climate science denier Jim Inhofe (oil R-OK), co-sponsored the amendment, but said it means little.
"From the National Journal: "Inhofe said that he backed the amendment because the climate is always changing, adding that the only "hoax" is the idea that human activity can change the temperature of the planet at all."
And, more from Inhofe on the amendment (source & his floor speech):
"Climate is changing and climate has always changed and always will. There is archaeological evidence of that, there is biblical evidence of that, there is historical evidence of that. It will always change. The hopes is that there are some people who are so arrogant to think they are so powerful they can change climate. Man can’t change climate."
One member of the public with a choice response:
@jiminhofe Quit whoring for the oil companies and do something good for human beings for a change.
— Grace Tenkay (@gracie28) January 21, 2015
Jan. 28, 2015
US Senate votes to pass the bill: 62-36
The vote: http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/114/senate/1/49
The story: Testing Obama, Senate Approves Keystone Bill
Senate accepts that climate change is not a hoax, but does not recognize that it (or global warming) is caused by humans.
House votes to pass Senate bill (modified): 270-152
The vote: http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/114/house/1/75
The final bill (House and Senate): http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114s1enr/pdf/BILLS-114s1enr.pdf
The story: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/12/us/politics/house-passes-keystone-bill.html
- energy retrofitting in schools
- consultation with "Indian Tribes"
Sec. 5: "It is the sense of the Senate that climate change is real and not a hoax."
-sense of the Senate, that Congress should approve a bill so that oil spill liability trust fund will apply to "bitumen" and "synthetic crude oil"
-some "energy efficiency" measures
-water heaters more efficient
-building efficiency labeling to be better
President Barack Obama: the "symbolism vastly outweighs the substance" ?
Will wait to see impact on climate:
Dept of State Review: would not worsen climate change.
EPA report: would worsen climate change
Will wait to see what Nebraska court case on property rights says:
Nebraska supreme court (appears to) rule in favor of pipeline.
