A leading House proponent of the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline says he will give President Obama some time to decide whether to approve it next year before relaunching his legislative fight.

Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) sponsored legislation earlier this year that would have forced Obama to approve the Alberta-to-Texas conduit, but he said today he will not immediately re-offer the bill when the 113th Congress convenes in January.

"Hopefully, we'll have some communications with the White House and we can get a timetable on when they are going to deal with the issue, but I'm not just going to come here on Jan. 3, 4, 5 or 6, whenever we're going to be here, and file a bill," Terry said.

"We'll give them a little bit of lead time here, and then if we just don't see action, then [Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.)] and I will drop the bill."

Terry's legislation was included in the House transportation bill this summer but was struck from the final law. Officials have said Obama's decision likely will come in the first three months of next year.

Earlier today, Terry wrote to Obama urging approval of the pipeline. Separately, Hoeven, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and a bipartisan group of 16 other senators requested a meeting with the president on the issue (Greenwire, Nov. 16).

Nebraska congressman roots for Michigan

According to members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) has put the word out that panel members should not talk about the internal jockeying for two open subcommittee gavels in the next Congress, including a plum post as the head of the high-profile Oversight and Investigations subpanel. The order may be an attempt to avoid a messy internal committee fight like the one Upton himself faced to win his gavel two years ago (E&E Daily, Nov. 14).

Terry toed the line on that informal gag rule today -- making his desire to take over the top spot on the Oversight and Investigations subpanel clear before quickly deferring to Upton.

"I could say yeah to that," Terry said when asked about his interest in the job. But he added that the decision is in Upton's hands.

"He is the decider, but the decider will not make public his decisions until the first week of December of the first week we're back," Terry said.

Asked whom his biggest competition for the job is, Terry would say only that "a lot of people have thrown their hats into that ring."

Among those who are seen as potential rivals to Terry, the panel's vice chairman for communications and technology, are Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.), the current vice chairman for environment and the economy; Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), the vice chairman for health; and Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), the vice chairwoman for commerce, manufacturing and trade.

"We'll see if Fred sticks to seniority or what he's going to do, but he's got it down and I trust him," Terry said.

But as the old saying goes, a little flattery never hurts.

"I'm a big Michigan fan right now," Terry added.