Daines’ bill to save Keystone XL Pipeline fails in COVID-19 relief package

WASHINGTON D.C. - Many amendments to the COVID-19 Relief package were offered throughout Friday night and early Saturday morning in the U.S. Senate.

Several bills on the Keystone XL Pipeline, that runs through Montana and South Dakota, were voted on. Both of Montana’s senators voted for some of the resolutions.

However, in the final draft, a bill offered by Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., failed. It would have included authorization for continued construction of the pipeline in the final COVID-19 relief package.

All 50 Senate Democrats voted against that legislation, including Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont. That draft required 51 votes to pass.

Despite the Keystone pipeline authorization defeat in the final COVID relief legislation, Tester released a statement saying he will continue to fight for the project.

Daines released a statement saying, “I’m very disappointed to see every senate Democrat, including Senator Tester, vote against my effort to authorize the Keystone XL pipeline. With his vote, we could have had a real chance of passing it.”

The $5.2 billion pipeline runs 1,200 miles through six Midwestern states.