McConnell plans vote-a-thon to finish Keystone XL

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has scheduled a blizzard of votes Wednesday so that the Senate can finish legislation approving the Keystone XL pipeline this week.

{mosads}Senators will cast as many as 18 roll-call votes Wednesday to finish up work on the bill so that they can move next week to provide funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which lapses on Feb. 28.

“It is now time to get through the remaining amendments and vote up or down on passage of this bill before we leave for the week,” McConnell said on the Senate floor.

Democrats on Monday blocked an effort to schedule a final up-or-down vote on the bill because they were upset they did not have enough opportunity to offer amendments.

Wednesday’s vote-a-rama should ease those concerns, McConnell believes.

“We expect this bipartisan bill to finally pass the Senate,” he added. “We expect the filibuster of good American jobs to soon come to an end.”

He argued the legislation would “pump billions into our economy” and support “thousands of jobs” with minimal environmental impact.

McConnell urged President Obama to back away from the veto threat he’s leveled at the GOP bill.

“We hope he’ll sign Keystone’s jobs into law. The president should expect more good ideas to head his way too,” he said.