The Obama administration has decided to put off the decision to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline until after the November elections.
In welcoming this delay, senior vice president for the League of Conservation Voters, Tiernan Sittenfeld said, “This is definitely great news. We are very confident as they continue to examine the issues with the lack of legal route in Nebraska and the terrible climate impacts, at the end of the day the pipeline will be rejected.”
In not saying how much longer it will take for this pending decision to be made, officials also mentioned that this decision required more time, thanks to a judge overturning a law which allowed for the pipeline’s path through the state.
Since the Supreme Court is not expected to hear an appeal against this ruling until September or October, there’s no doubt more legal maneuvering due to take place before the court rules again.
What this does is please Obama’s donors and allies but could cause problems for Democrats who are running this year in conservative areas of the United States.
This has brought criticism from the Republicans who believe that there are no more reasons for further delay and that Obama is catering to the interests of radical activists. Democrats who are facing a difficult reelection say that this delay can stop 42000 jobs and cost them billions in economic activity as a result.
Even though the White House has said that Secretary of State John Kerry is in charge, most people believe that this decision will, most likely, be made by President Obama.