WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Candice Miller (MI-10) today made the following comments regarding President Obama’s Administration announcing the rejection of the permit application submitted by TransCanada Corporation to build the Keystone XL pipeline extension. This pipeline extension is projected to create more than 100,000 jobs; however, the permit application has been pending before the Administration since September 2008 and now has been denied by the Administration noting insufficient time to make a decision. Miller said:

“I find it so unfortunate that with the creation of new jobs being the number one issue facing this nation and with Americans paying well over $3 per gallon at the pump, that President Obama has rejected permitting the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. This pipeline would create approximately 20,000 jobs immediately – jobs which would be created by the private sector at zero cost to the taxpayers – as well as improve the energy security of our nation. This project has been studied for more than three years and has the support of the vast majority of the American people.

“President Obama must understand that this decision will make our nation more dependent on energy from unfriendly overseas nations that could have been replaced by energy from Canada, our friend, neighbor and ally. The President must also understand that Canada has other potential customers who will gladly purchase their energy, such as our number one economic competitor China. This decision is just flat wrong for our economy, for desperately needed jobs and for our nation’s energy security. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to force a change in this decision.”

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