Prepare to see news about a proposed project extension called the Keystone XL Pipeline, a huge, costly and controversial way to transport oil down from Canada to U.S. refineries in the Gulf of Mexico offshore from Texas. The House of Representatives voted Friday to authorize the expanded project through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. A Senate vote is expected soon.

President Obama says a decision is up to his executive branch of government because it's an international project. He threatens to veto the pending bill if passes the full Congress. Opponents raise environmental concerns, don't want to encourage reliance on oil as a fuel source and say America shouldn't help a Canadian company profit on a project for Canadian oil. Court challenges cite potential risks to wildlife and drinking water in case the underground pipes leak. (The Nebraska Supreme Court last Friday tossed out a lawsuit against the pipeline.)

Many Republicans and other backers see the 1,179-mile Keystone expansion as a source of up to 42,000 construction jobs and a way to reduce reliance on Mideast oil. Republicans earlier said it would help reduce fuel prices, something that's now beside the point because gasoline is at a five-year low. Still, the high-stakes drama is moving toward a Washington showdown after six years of skirmishes. "If President Obama chooses to veto any Keystone XL bill, he will be vetoing job creation, energy production, and common sense," conservative economist Nicolas Loris of the Heritage Foundation wrote last week.

President says: "There's been this tendency to really hype this thing as some magic formula to what ails the U.S. economy, and it's hard to see on paper where exactly they're getting that information from." – Barack Obama, Dec. 19 press conference

Republican says: "The Keystone XL Pipeline is all about jobs, economic growth and national security." – Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.

Democratic senator says: "There will be enough Democratic votes to sustain the president's veto." – Sen. Chuck Schumer, D.N.Y.