Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) has released the following statement on President Obama's decision today to reject the application for the completion of the Keystone XL oil pipeline after years of consideration:

"The Keystone XL is a great opportunity to create thousands of good jobs in a vastly growing energy sector. I greatly disagree with President Obama’s decision to reject the Keystone XL today. The House has voted several times to allow for construction of the pipeline and each time I have voted in support.  According to the Department of Energy, the Keystone XL pipeline would move up to 830,000 barrels of oil from western Canada  and create tens of thousands of American jobs in many U.S. refineries, the majority of which are in Texas, where families and communities can grow and develop from added jobs. The pipeline would also reduce our dependence on Middle Eastern oil. The President's rejection today opens the door for other competing countries to come in and reap the benefits of North American oil."

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