President Barack Obama rejected a permit for the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline on Wednesday, blaming Republicans for forcing him to make a decision under a "rushed and arbitrary deadline."

Obama previously said he wouldn't make a decision under after the November elections. But a rider in an unrelated bill forced him to take action sooner.

"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," Obama said in a statement. "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."

The State Department said TransCanada can ask for a permit again. The $7 billion, 1,700-mile pipeline will start in Canada and cross Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

Tribes and First Nations along the route oppose the pipeline.

Get the Story:
Obama administration rejects Keystone XL pipeline (The Washington Post 1/19)
Rejecting Pipeline Proposal, Obama Blames Congress (The New York Times 1/19)
Keystone XL pipeline reaction follows party line (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 1/19)
President turns thumbs down on Keystone XL (The Lincoln Journal Star 1/19)

An Opinion:
Editorial: Obama hits 'restart' button with pipeline decision (The Great Falls Tribune 1/19)