Hold Sen. Manchin accountable for voting to force approval
of Keystone XL.
Dear Paul,
Big Oil thought they had it in the bag.1 And it sure was close.
But on Thursday, after CREDO members made more than 6,000 calls to key senators in just over 24 hours, the Republicans' amendment
to force approval of the Keystone XL pipeline failed by a vote of 56 — 42, short of the 60 votes required to pass.2
No thanks to Sen. Manchin — who chose big oil over the safety of the American people, and voted to strip the State Department
and President Obama of their authority to evaluate this project.
Tell Sen. Manchin: I won't forget your vote to force approval
of the dangerous Keystone XL pipeline.
Eleven Democrats were either too oil-soaked or too seriously misinformed to stand up to Big Oil: Sens. Baucus (MT), Begich
(AK), Casey (PA) Conrad (ND), Hagan (NC), Landrieu (LA), Manchin (WV), McCaskill (MO), Pryor (AR), Tester (MT), and Webb
(VA) all voted to force approval of Keystone XL.
And indeed, The 56 senators who voted for the Hoeven amendment to force approval of Keystone XL have received 500% more
money from oil interests in the current Congress than the senators who voted no.3
Clearly, some senators are more afraid of being on the other side of that oil money than they are by the prospects of toxic
oil spills in the Ogallala aquifer, or "game over" for the climate.
Even though they lost the vote, thanks to the support of Sen. Manchin, oil companies and Republicans can now claim a bipartisan
majority in favor of building Keystone XL, regardless of the cost. Which means Keystone XL will almost surely be back in
Congress, and our activism will continue to be essential to stop it.
Please take this opportunity to let Sen. Manchin know you are disappointed in his vote, and urge him to reconsider his
dangerous support for Keystone XL:
http://act.credoaction.com/r/?r=5540427&id=36387-3414728-JZEPAUx&t=5
As long as oil companies have money and the world wants to burn oil, there will be no end in the fight to stop Keystone XL
and keep tar sands bitumen in the ground.
But defeating Keystone XL on Thursday in its first straight vote in the Senate is another strong affirmation of the power
of our activism against it — and the importance of continuing to pressure our leaders.
Thanks for all you do.
Elijah Zarlin, Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets
1. "Big Oil Messes Up and Announces Keystone XL
Victory Before Realizing They Lost," 350, 3/8/12
2. Senate Roll On the Hoeven Amdt. No. 1537,
3/8/12
3. "Keystone Stopped (again), but Not For Want of
Trying," Oil Change International, 3/8/12
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