Murkowski wary of Keystone XL oversell

WASHINGTON, June 19 (UPI) -- While bipartisan leaders in a Senate committee passed a bill in support of Keystone XL, Sen. Lisa Murkowski warned against overselling the win.

Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and John Hoeven, R-N.D., moved their bill in support of the pipeline through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee with a 12-10 vote.

"I am pleased to move the issue of the Keystone XL pipeline forward, but I think we need to be cautious not to oversell it," Murkowski said in a statement Wednesday.

The measure is nearly identical to similar efforts to push Keystone XL past President Obama's desk. Murkowski said her counterparts in the House have already passed similar legislation, but noted Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has largely ignored the issue on the Senate floor.

Pipeline planner TransCanada issued a permit request for the pipeline more than five years ago. Supporters of the pipeline said its approval is long overdue, though critics say the potential harm from the heavier grade of Canadian crude oil it's designed to carry is too great of a risk.