California senators to Rand Paul: Stop blocking pipeline safety bill

California’s two Democratic senators are pressing Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to end his procedural “hold” on pipeline safety legislation they call needed in the wake of a 2010 natural gas pipeline explosion San Bruno, California that killed eight people.

“This legislation was unanimously passed out of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and includes many safeguards drawn from a bill we introduced earlier this year,” states a letter Tuesday to Paul from Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).
 
“We believe that implementing these safety upgrades and precautions could prevent more communities from suffering the fate of San Bruno, and therefore we ask that you reconsider your hold. We would be happy to meet with you in order to further discuss the importance of this legislation,” they write.

Paul said through a spokeswoman last week that he had placed a procedural hold on the bill – which takes 60 votes to overcome – because he doesn’t believe the measure should be fast-tracked through the Senate.

“Sen. Paul doesn't think new regulations and the creation of dozens of bureaucratic positions should be swept through without sufficient debate and vote,” spokeswoman Moira Bagley said Sept. 27.