Sen. Kirk: Pipeline provision may make payroll tax cut extension bill

The Keystone XL oil sands pipeline provision that Republicans are pushing for may be in the final version of the payroll tax cut extension bill, Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) said.

Kirk was speaking in an interview with local St. Louis radio station KMOX. He said Thursday afternoon that it appeared Democrats had dropped a surcharge on millionaires they had previously been pushing to be included in the final version for extending the tax cut and added that it appeared the Keystone provision would be in the measure as well.

{mosads}”The Keystone pipeline may be in the final package,” Kirk said.

Earlier that afternoon, White House press secretary Jay Carney repeated President Obama’s promise to “reject” any payroll tax cut extension legislation that included the pipeline provision.

“What the president said … is that he would reject a provision, he would reject a proposal that tried to mandate approval of the Keystone project,” Carney said to reporters at a briefing.

Earlier this week the House passed a payroll tax cut extension package that included the Keystone pipeline provision. Democrats have objected to the House GOP version of the extension in part because of the pipeline provision. But some Democrats also support the provision.

The White House threatened to veto the bill if it made its way to Obama’s desk and included the pipeline and other provisions the White House does not support.

Nevertheless, Republicans on Thursday repeatedly expressed confidence that there was bipartisan support for the provision.

“I believe there is a bipartisan majority in the United States Senate for the Keystone pipeline,” House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Thursday.

It is not clear if there are enough votes in the Senate to pass an extension that includes the pipeline. Aside from Obama, Democrats and environmental groups stressed their opposition to it.