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No XL Pipeline. (At least Not Yet)

President Obama has made his decision.  No Keystone XL Pipeline.

The president put off deciding to have the pipeline built until further recommendations and assessments could be made.  The pipeline would run from Canada to Texas.

In an official White House press release, President Obama stated, "Earlier today, I received the Secretary of State’s recommendation on the pending application for the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline.  As the State Department made clear last month, the rushed and arbitrary deadline insisted on by Congressional Republicans prevented a full assessment of the pipeline’s impact, especially the health and safety of the American people, as well as our environment.  As a result, the Secretary of State has recommended that the application be denied.  And after reviewing the State Department’s report, I agree", writes the president. 

"This announcement is not a judgment on the merits of the pipeline, but the arbitrary nature of a deadline that prevented the State Department from gathering the information necessary to approve the project and protect the American people.  I’m disappointed that Republicans in Congress forced this decision, but it does not change my Administration’s commitment to American-made energy that creates jobs and reduces our dependence on oil.  Under my Administration, domestic oil and natural gas production is up, while imports of foreign oil are down.  In the months ahead, we will continue to look for new ways to partner with the oil and gas industry to increase our energy security –including the potential development of an oil pipeline from Cushing, Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico – even as we set higher efficiency standards for cars and trucks and invest in alternatives like biofuels and natural gas. "

Speaker Boehner, in a press conference earlier today said the pipeline has bipartisan support, yet "the president has broken his promise to the American people." 

"This is not the end of this fight", said Boehner of the Pipeline.  "It's good for our country, especially those who are looking for work."

The president believes his decision will both "benefit American workers and businesses without risking the health and safety of the American people and the environment."

The Keystone XL is a proposed 1700-mile oil pipeline from the U.S.- Canadian border in Montana, through Cushing, Oklahoma, to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

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