U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate today passed legislation to approve the Keystone XL pipeline with a 62-36 vote. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, released the following statement after voting against the measure:

“Tar sands are not the right choice to meet our future energy needs. Instead of focusing on the past, which the Keystone XL Pipeline represents, we need to look to the future of clean energy technologies and the domestic jobs they support. Our national energy policy should be focused on two fundamental principles, fewer imports and cleaner fuels. Developing Canada’s tar sands flunks both these tests. My position against tar sand development is about taking the science of climate change and risk analysis seriously, and that the smarter investments are in the low-carbon and sustainable fuels of the future.”

Nine Democrats joined every Republican in supporting the bill that would pull the decision on the $8 billion pipeline from the president, who plans to veto the measure. House Republican leaders must now decide whether to vote on the Senate bill or begin talks to merge it with their version of the bill that was passed earlier this month.