WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-1) issued the following statement today in response to President Barack Obama’s declaration that the Keystone XL pipeline project does not serve the national interest. 

“With a route that would have sliced through Nebraska’s Sandhills and endangered the Ogallala aquifer, I have had serious concerns about the proposed pipeline since the application was first filed.  By not allowing the State Department to complete the project’s necessary environmental review, Congressional Republicans chose political games over a measured and informed discussion about the potential impacts of this project. A pipeline of this size and length involves significant environmental risks, and I applaud the decision to deny the initial application.   

“My first priority remains helping to get America back to work.  Colorado is already at the cutting edge of the clean energy economy, and it is time to create safe, more secure jobs by investing in this critical industry.”  

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