The House passed the latest test vote on the Keystone XL pipeline today, although not with the veto-proof majority its supporters had sought.

The motion from Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.) would instruct House conferees working on a long-term transportation bill to "insist" on the House-passed language approving the Canada-to-U.S. pipeline. The motion passed 261-152, with 26 Democrats voting for it.

Barrow, who is locked in a tough re-election race, has backed the pipeline in the past, including a vote for similar language in a February Energy and Commerce Committee markup.

The House language would override President Obama's rejection of the pipeline by giving the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 30 days to issue a permit for the project. Similar language failed to meet the 60-vote threshold in the Senate.

The rider collected 293 votes -- including 69 Democrats -- on the House floor as part of the transportation extension, but many said their support was about the underlying transportation bill and the effort to go to conference with the Senate rather than approving the pipeline.

Keystone XL approval has emerged as a potential sticking point in the conference, with the administration affirming a veto threat if the language is included. Transportation and Infrastructure ranking member Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) said yesterday that he did not think the language would make it into a final bill.

However, Transportation Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) said this morning that the pipeline rider has "strong support" and that he thought it would be included.

Mica met today with House leaders and Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) to discuss the transportation conference, a meeting that Mica called productive. He told reporters that leaders discussed the positive steps of the conference so far but would not delve into specifics.

While the House members are on recess next week, Mica said staff from the House and Senate side would continue to meet. They have moved through about 75 percent of the bill so far to find areas of agreement, he added, and hoped to complete the early reading this week.

Dems lobby on coal ash

As part of an effort to lobby conferees on hot-button issues, 38 House Democrats sent a letter urging them to scrap a provision to streamline infrastructure permits under the National Environmental Policy Act.

"We also urge you to remove the provisions that prevent [U.S.] EPA from enacting federal standards for the disposal of toxic ash," the lawmakers said.

They're referring to an amendment to insert H.R. 2273, which would block EPA from designating coal ash as hazardous and set up a new regulatory system for dumps. The ash is often recycled in construction and highway projects.

Earlier this month, 19 Democrats, including some congressional liberals, joined Republicans in supporting inclusion of the coal ash measure in the transportation package (E&E Daily, May 10).

Reporters Manuel Quinones and Hannah Northey contributed.