Posted: Wed 7:46 PM, Nov 11, 2015

By: Justin J. Reyes

LAREDO, TEXAS (KGNS) - Congressman Henry Cuellar is speaking out after president Obama's decision to reject the Keystone X-L pipeline.

The pipeline was proposed to move oil from Canada, through six U.S. states, ending at refineries along the Texas coast.

The president last week denied an application to build the pipeline, saying the environmental impact is too high, and adding it would not help bring down fuel prices.

The southern portion called the Gulf Coast Pipeline, is already in place from Cushing, Oklahoma to the Texas coast.

It started operating last year but Cuellar says not extending the pipeline north to Canada, means fewer refinery jobs for Texas workers.

"On construction you're talking about thousands of jobs and then anyone that's involved in the gas and energy, it's going to be more jobs. Literally you're talking about thousands of jobs on that", said Cuellar.

Congressman Cuellar says some of the environmental concerns about the pipeline are not valid, because there are already plenty of existing pipelines in the United States.

He says the debate over the keystone pipeline has become political theater.

http://www.kgns.tv/home/headlines/Congressman-Henry-Cuellar-rejects-Obamas-346293242.html