Sen. Mark Pryor continues his rightward march, joining with Senate Republicans and 10 other Democrats to back legislation to authorize the Keystone pipeline over administration delays. So far, the bill lacks the 60 votes necessary to overcome a filibuster.

Said Pryor’s office:

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WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senator Mark Pryor this week signed on to bipartisan legislation that would immediately authorize TransCanada’s application with the State Department to build the Keystone XL pipeline. The legislation would also finalize the environmental review process and respect existing private property rights.

“Building the Keystone XL pipeline doesn’t just make sense for our future energy security, it makes good sense for our nation’s economic growth,” Pryor said. “The American people are tired of the gridlock around this issue. It’s time to move forward with this opportunity so we can grow our economy and create jobs here at home.”

In February, Pryor joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues, labor and business leaders, and national security experts in calling for the approval of the pipeline. Last month, Pryor and a bipartisan coalition of his colleagues sent a letter calling on the President to implement an explicit timeline for his Administration to decide on the Keystone XL pipeline permit.

Environmentalists have long fought the idea of the line carrying heavy crude across the nation’s midsection, including an important to aquifer, to Gulf refineries.  Dangerous business getting into these sorts of things to override local legal concerns. What’s next? A bill to get around Arkansas opposition to power lines crossing Arkansas to delivery energy to other states?

Pryor’s opponent, Republican Tom Cotton, used the Keystone pipeline — and the Obama administration’s slow movement on approval — as a key campaign point in his first race for Congress two years ago.

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