Congress Signs Keystone XL Jobs Bill; Majority of People To Obama: "Sign the Bill"

Mr. President: It's a No-brainer: SIGN the bill!

Today in Washington. D.C. - Feb 13, 2015
This morning, House Speaker Boehner and Senate Majority Leader McConnell signed S. 1, the bill authorizing the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. It was passed in the Senate and House. The bill is now ready to be sent to the president, who must then decide to sign it into law or veto it.

The Senate is not in session today and will reconvene at 4:45 PM on Monday for a pro forma session. The Senate will return for legislative business on Monday, February 23rd. At 5:30 on the 23rd, the Senate will again vote on cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 240, the House-passed Homeland Security appropriations bill. Senate Democrats have prevented the Senate from taking up the bill three times now.

Yesterday, Feb. 12, the Senate confirmed (95-5) Dr. Ashton Carter as the new Secretary of Defense.  Carter will replace Secretary Chuck Hagel who took the post in 2013. Carter has a doctorate in in theoretical physics from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes scholar, and served first as the Pentagon ’s chief of acquisitions and technology and later as deputy secretary during the Obama administration.

The House reconvened at 9 AM today. This morning the House passed the America’s Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2015 H.R. 636 (272-142) — "To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend increased expensing limitations, and for other purposes." 141 progressive liberal democrats voted not to provide relief to Small Business with regard to expenses they could claim for their business operations.

The Speaker appointed made the following appointments House member to the following.
- United States Group of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly: Mr. Turner, Mr. Johnson of OH, Mr. Miller of FL, Mr. Marino, Mr. Guthrie, Mr. Cook and Mr. Kinzinger of IL.
- Board of Visitors to the United States Naval Academy: Mr. Young of IN and Mr. Rooney of FL.
- Board of Visitors to the United States Coast Guard Academy: Mr. Smith of NE.
- Board of Visitors to the United States Air Force Academy: Mr. Lamborn and Ms. McSally.
- Board of Visitors to the United States Merchant Marine Academy: Mr. King of NY.

The House adjourned at 12:23 PM today. The next meeting is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. for a pro-forma meeting on February 17, 2015. Per the Majority Leader's House calendar, the House will be their scheduled "District work week" until they return return on Feb. 24, 2015. Not votes are scheduled before 6:30 PM.

Yesterday the House passed (279-137) H.R. 644 — The Fighting Hunger Incentive Act -"To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend and expand the charitable deduction for contributions of food inventory." Amazingly, 136 so called bleeding heart (really hard hearted) liberals who say they are concerned about the poor and hungry voted AGAINST this bill.

Regard the passed by Congress of the Keystone XL Pipeline bill:

CNN reports today, “At a ceremonial ‘signing’ of a bill approving the Keystone XL pipeline House Speaker John Boehner's message to President Barack Obama was ‘do the right thing’ and enact the measure into law.

“Boehner knows the President has already and repeatedly pledged to veto the bill. But the photo op at the U.S. Capitol of the Speaker prepping the bill to go to the White House on Friday morning, surrounded by GOP lawmakers and the head of the builders union that would construct the pipeline, was all about sending a political message.

“‘The new majority is getting Congress back to work for the American people,’ said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky.

“One after another Republicans cited bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate for the measure, and attempted to isolate the president as the only person standing in the way of the pipeline.”

Indeed, the president is the main obstacle to finally beginning work on this pipeline and putting many Americans to work.

The Hill notes, “‘Everyone is on board, except for the president,’ said Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), an author of the bill. Hoeven pressed President Obama to sign the bill, arguing that a veto would be ‘music’ to the ears of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Hoeven asked if the administration really wants to rely on OPEC with the current terror situation with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.”

Politico adds, ‘It’s really pretty simple: The Keystone XL pipeline is a good idea for our economy and for our country,’ Boehner said. ‘To the president I would just say this: Do the right thing. Sign this bill and help us create more jobs in America and create a healthier economy.’ ‘We’re hoping common sense will prevail here and the president will sign this extraordinary jobs bill,’ McConnell added. . . .

“The Senate spent most of January debating the bill, the first submitted under the now-Republican controlled chamber, and the House voted in favor of the measure that the upper chamber had passed. . . . Republicans will wait to send the bill to Obama until after next week, preventing him from vetoing the legislation during their President’s Day recess. The submission will start a 10-day veto clock, not counting Sundays.”

As Leader McConnell said earlier this week, “The Keystone Jobs bill is just common sense. That’s why this bipartisan legislation already passed the Senate with support from both parties. That’s why labor unions support it. ... American people support it.

“Americans know that construction of this infrastructure project would pump billions into the economy and support thousands of good jobs. They also know that America could achieve this with, as the President’s own State Department has indicated, minimal environmental impact. “So Americans are urging President Obama not to interfere in the review process for political reasons any longer. Americans are urging the President to finally heed scientific conclusions his own State Department already reached. Let American workers build this infrastructure project, Mr. President. Sign this jobs and infrastructure bill.”

The Obama administration has delayed the Keystone XL pipeline for years. It has been studied and restudied. It will create jobs, help the economy, improve American infrastructure, enhance North American energy security, heal a sore point in relations with our friends in Canada, and it won’t cost taxpayers anything.

The Keystone XL Pipeline project is a no-brainer. All that is needed is President Obama’s signature.

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