Washington (CNN) The Senate passed a bipartisan bill on Thursday to clear construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, a controversial project that would transport oil from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

The vote was 62 to 36. Nine mostly centrist Democrats joined with Republicans to support the bill despite President Barack Obama's promise to veto it. The President has said the decision should remain within the executive branch.

Passage was a victory for newly empowered Republicans who made the bill their top legislative priority and the first taken up on the Senate floor. Keystone supporters, frustrated by the lengthy and still ongoing Obama administration review of the project, are trying to force the President's hand to let it be built. While the GOP glee is likely to be short-lived as the vote fell short of the two-thirds majority necessary to overcome a potential veto, for now, Republicans are pleased.

"This is a happy day on several counts," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who told reporters he was pleased with both the success of the bill and the legislative process it took to get there -- most notably the 41 amendments from members of both parties that got votes.

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