WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives voted Friday to approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport oil from Canada to refineries along the Gulf of Mexico. The passage sets the stage for a vote Tuesday in the Senate, where Democrats have previously blocked approval of the pipeline. Democratic support in the Senate has grown in recent days, widely seen as an effort to help the re-election prospects of Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., who faces a runoff in December. The House passed the measure 252-161, with 221 Republicans and 21 Democrats voting yes. All of the 161 no votes were cast by Democrats, while one Republican, Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, voted “present.”

U.S. HOUSE VOTE

Walden (R) Y

Blumenauer (D) Did not vote

Bonamici (D) N

DeFazio (D) N

Schrader (D) N

In the upper chamber, where Democrats will lose their majority in January, Senators Thursday confirmed two nominees to be U.S. District Court judges in Georgia and the District of Columbia. The vote to confirm Randolph D. Moss as a judge for the District of Columbia split largely along party lines, with 53 Democrats and one Republican voting yes. One Democrat and 44 Republicans voted no.

U.S. SENATE VOTE

Merkley (D) Y

Wyden (D) Y

The vote to confirm Leigh Martin May to a judgeship in the Northern District of Georgia, was unanimous, 99-0.

Merkley (D) Y

Wyden (D) Y

— Andrew Clevenger, The Bulletin