Congress set to pass bill approving Keystone

Dina Cappiello The Associated PressThe United States Congress approved a bill Wednesday to construct the privately funded Canadian Keystone XL oil pipeline project, setting up a confrontation with President Barack Obama, who has threatened to veto the measure.

The House voted 270-152 to send the bill to the president, endorsing changes made by the Senate that stated climate change was real and not a hoax, and oilsands should no longer be exempt from a tax used to cleanup oil spills. Only one Republican voted against the measure.

But neither chamber has enough support to overcome a veto, and supporters were already strategizing on how to secure the pipeline’s approval using other legislative means.

Finally! Keystone XL pipeline project moves forward in US Senate

Alexander Panetta The Canadian PressThe Keystone XL pipeline passed a major procedural hurdle in the United States Senate, receiving enough votes Monday to override a filibuster for the first time in the years-long dispute.

The chamber agreed to move forward with debate on a bill that would force President Barack Obama to approve the controversial Canadian oil infrastructure.

The vote reflects the power of the new Republican majority following the midterm elections, and is the first piece of legislation advanced in the new congressional session.

Similar legislation had never managed to attain the filibuster-proof 60 votes under Democratic control — and, on Monday, it cleared that hurdle with 63 votes.

Thishappened! Mexico congress passes national ban on circus animals

A circus dog performs in costume during a free public show in Mexico City's main square, the Zocalo, Tuesday, July 22, 2014. Mexico's congress passed a national ban on circus animals on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014.| AP/Rebecca Blackwell

Mexico's congress has passed legislation to ban the use of animals in circuses across the country.

The lower chamber's vote Thursday followed one earlier in the week by the Senate and came six months after Mexico City passed a similar ban that is to go into effect next year. Six states also adopted bans.

The House of Deputies said in a statement that the chamber voted 267-66 to approve the bill aimed at combating mistreatment of animals. It calls for fines for violations and requires circuses to submit lists of the wildlife they possess, which would then be made available to zoos interested in taking the animals.

The bill now needs the signature of President Enrique Pena Nieto. He hasn't spoken about the proposal, but it was introduced by an allied party.

Dozens Of Capitol Hill's Staff Walk Out On Congress To Protest Grand Jury Decisions

Dozens of congressional staffers walked out in protest of the recent grand jury decisions failing to indict the two officers who killed Eric Garner and Michael Brown. The result was an incredible display of solidarity, with staffers raising their hands in the air to invoke Brown's "hands up, don't shoot"