On Stanford Campus, Keystone XL Pipeline Protesters Urge President Obama to Veto Legislation

While the president was on the Stanford University campus Friday, student protesters urged the president to veto the Keystone XL Pipeline legislation.

Demonstrators chanted “Stop this pipeline” and “Hey hey, ho ho, the Keystone Pipeline’s got to go,” among other slogans.

The president is expected to veto the bill which was formally approved Friday morning by House Speaker John Boehner.

The House and The Senate have already approved construction of the controversial pipeline that would carry oil from Canada to the American Gulf Coast.

The White House argues the economic benefits to America are minimal, but backers say the pipeline would lead to construction jobs.

Republicans, emboldened after having passed a bill they never could get through a Democratic-run Senate, planned a triumphant signing ceremony at the Capitol on Friday. Yet GOP leaders were expected to wait to send the bill to the White House until after lawmakers return from their recess later this month.

That way, when Obama vetoes the bill, Republicans will be on hand to blast the president for nixing a project they say will spur jobs and economic growth.

"The more public attention it gets, the better,'' said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., a staunch Keystone supporter.

White House officials haven't yet decided whether Obama will veto the bill in private and announce it in a simple statement, or whether he'll do it publicly in grander fashion, a move that would show defiance against Republican attempts to undercut him. During his administration, President Bill Clinton took that approach when he vetoed a tax-cut bill in the Rose Garden, serenaded by a brass band.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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