By Heather Zichal
By Issouf Sanogo, AFP/Getty Images
In December, when Republicans in Congress proposed a 60-day deadline for deciding the fate of the Keystone XL pipeline, the administration made it clear that a rushed and arbitrary timetable would prevent officials from conducting a full and necessary assessment of the pipeline's impact, especially as it related to the health and safety of millions of Americans.
OUR VIEW: Obama's decision delays energy security
Wednesday, as a result of that arbitrary deadline, the State Department announced that it must deny the application, and based on that recommendation, the president agreed.
This
decision was not based on the merits of the pipeline — it was because
congressional Republicans chose to play politics and refused to allow
the appropriate time for a full review. The decision made by Republicans
to short-circuit the review killed the pipeline, but it doesn't change
this administration's commitment to American-made energy that puts
folks back to work and reduces our dependence on oil.
The president is committed to energy security and domestic oil and gas production. Since 2008, U.S.
oil and gas production is up, foreign imports are down, and in 2011 we
produced more oil than at any time since 2003. This administration has
taken historic action to nearly double fuel economy of the cars and
trucks we drive, saving families money at the pump.
Under President Obama's leadership, we have
taken a series of historic steps to become more energy independent, and
we'll keep at it. We will also continue to look for new ways to increase
our energy security and create jobs.
Finally,
it's important to remember that congressional Republicans voted down
nearly every proposal in the American Jobs Act, which independent
analysts estimated could create nearly 2 million jobs, including
hundreds of thousands of jobs for construction workers. So, before they
engage in more political theater, they should take a look at the
important bipartisan proposals on their desk that will strengthen the
middle class, create jobs and improve the economy.
Heather Zichal is an energy adviser to President Obama.
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