Sen. Paul places hold on pipeline safety bill

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is blocking legislation aimed at tightening safety standards for the nation’s oil and natural-gas pipelines, arguing that the bill would create a new layer of burdensome regulations and government bureaucracy.

Paul has placed a procedural hold on the legislation, which enjoys bipartisan support in the Senate. The hold effectively prevents lawmakers from fast-tracking approval of the bill.

{mosads}The fight over the bill comes amid growing concerns about the country’s pipeline
infrastructure, spurred in part by a number of recent accidents.

A California natural-gas pipeline exploded last year, killing eight
people. And two recent pipeline leaks, one in Michigan and one in Montanta,
spilled thousands of gallons of oil.

Still, Moira Bagley, Paul’s spokeswoman, noted that Senate leadership could bring the legislation to the floor under normal rules, which would require 60 votes to overcome the lawmaker’s hold.

“Sen. Paul doesn’t think new regulations and the creation of dozens of bureaucratic positions should be swept through without sufficient debate and vote,” Bagley said. “Majority Leader [Harry] Reid has the ability to bring this legislation before the Senate at any time.”

But Democrats blasted Paul for holding up the legislation Tuesday.

“Senator Paul is blinded by ideology and in my view, indifferent to the overwhelming evidence that self regulation of the gas industry is a prescription for further death and injury,” Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) said in a statement.

{mossecondads}A senior Senate Democratic aide said Paul is holding the bill hostage to advance Tea Party priorities.

“This is really emblematic of Tea Party tactics — one person’s blocking a policy with bipartisan support because a small amount of people want to advance an agenda,” the aide said.

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee unanimously approved the pipeline safety bill in May.

The bill would require the use of automatic or remote shutoff valves on new pipelines, allow additional pipeline inspectors and increase penalties for violations of pipeline rules.

Industry groups, including the American Gas Association, support the legislation. In a July letter, industry groups called on senators to immediately pass the legislation.

The pipeline safety bill comes as the Obama administration is mulling a proposal to build a 1,700-mile oil pipeline from Alberta, Canada, to refineries in Texas.

TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline has ignited a firestorm in Washington. Environmentalists and others have raised safety concerns about the project, while Republicans and industry groups have said the pipeline will improve the economy and create jobs.

The administration is expected to make a final decision on the project by the end of the year.