–House Speaker Boehner: ‘This Is Not The End of This Fight’
–Rep. Boehner: ‘We’re Not Going To Give Up’
–White House: Blasts GOP For ‘Rushed And Abritrary Deadline’
–White House: Finding ‘Not A Judgement On The Merits of the Pipeline’

By John Shaw

WASHINGTON (MNI) – U.S. House Speaker John Boehner Wednesday
blasted the Obama administration for rejecting a permit request for the
Keystone XL oil pipeline project, saying the decision was driven by
“politics” rather than economic or national security considerations.

At a briefing following the White House statement on the Keystone
XL project, Boehner said the administration’s decision would block the
creation of “tens of thousands of jobs” that are linked to the project.

“The President won’t stand up to his political base even to create
American jobs. This is not the end of this fight,” Boehner said.

“All options are on the table,” Boehner said when asked about what
steps he will take in the future to overturn the decision.

“This fight is not going away,” he added, saying there are
“legislative vehicles that will be moving” this winter and spring that
might allow him to press the issue in another way.

“We’re not going to give up,” Boehner said. “This pipeline is
important to our country.”

The White House statement placed the blame for the decision
squarely on the shoulders of Republican leaders who inserted a “rushed
and arbitrary deadline” on the administration in last year’s payroll tax
cut extension package.

That package required the administration to decide on the Keystone
XL pipeline permit by February 21.

The White House statement said the decision was “not a judgement on
the merits of the pipeline but the arbitrary nature of the deadline”
imposed by the legislation.

Administration officials have said this tight deadline did not
allow them adequate time to undertake a careful review.

President Barack Obama had already twice delayed the $7 billion
project for a pipeline that would extend 1,700 miles from Canada to the
Gulf of Mexico.

** Market News International Washington Bureau: (202) 371-2121 **

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