Shaun Polczer, CALGARY: One could be forgiven for thinking the US government’s rejection of the $7 billion Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to the US Gulf coast was the final word on the matter. But the pipeline’s supporters have tabled no less than three proposals in a bid to force approval of the controversial link.
House speaker John Boehner appeared on US network news programmes over the weekend, suggesting Keystone XL could be tied to a pair of separate, unrelated bills, including a pending deal to extend payroll tax cuts for US workers. If the payroll bill doesn’t pass, Keystone XL would then be inserted into a highways-funding bill that is expected to be introduced next week and put to a vote later in February.
On top of this, Senate Republicans plan to introduce a bill removing authority for approving the project from the White House, placing...