U.S. Senate approves Keystone XL oil pipeline

The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved a bill to build the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline even though President Barack Obama has threatened to veto this project.

The Senate voted 62 to 36 to pass the bill, sending it back to the House, which passed a quite similar bill on Jan. 9. House leaders are still deciding whether to pass the Senate bill simply or to merge the two bills into a new bill, which would be voted again by both chambers.

The Keystone XL oil pipeline which goes from Canada through the U.S. State of Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska has been delayed by the U.S. government for several years due to its so- called environmental impact which has been denied by the State Department review.

Analysts said this project has become quite political right now, a symbol of conflicts between the U.S. president and the Congress controlled by the Republicans.

Senate majority leader Republican Mitch McConnell chose the Keystone as the first bill that the Congress would send to Obama's desk after the Republicans won the mid-term elections to control both chambers last year.

The White House announced President Obama's veto threat against the project after the new Congress came into office earlier this month.

At present the Republicans still didn't get a veto-proof majority of 67 to override a presidential veto. Enditem