McConnell asks Dems to cooperate on Keystone

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday called on Democrats to let a bill approving the Keystone XL pipeline move forward after they blocked it from reaching a final vote.

{mosads}McConnell urged Senate Democrats to reconsider their opposition to moving forward, promising to allow more amendments, the chamber already having voted on two dozen.

“Our Democratic friends have had more amendments considered on this bill than Republicans — more amendments than all of last year combined,” he said on the Senate floor.

“And just a few days ago, we offered our friends the opportunity to have even more of their amendments voted on. Unfortunately, Democrats rejected that offer. I’m asking them to reconsider,” he added.

He said senators should work with Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the panel’s ranking member, to get additional votes on amendments.

“Join us. Work with the bill managers,” he said. “Let’s make progress for the American people.”

Democrats complained Monday that Republicans did not allow debate time on some of their amendments and summarily tabled them.

“The authors of the amendment were denied 60 seconds to even explain their amendments. It didn’t leave a very good taste in the mouth of many Democrats, not even those who were supporting the Keystone Canadian pipeline,” Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) said Monday.