President Obama Monday predicted that the State Department would conclude its review of the Keystone XL pipeline within “weeks or months,” meaning the White House likely would make the final call on the project this year.
“I think it will happen before the end of my administration,” Obama told Reuters on Monday, referring to the Keystone XL project, which the State Department has been reviewing for more than six years.
When pressed further, Obama suggested the evaluation would be completed within “weeks or months.”
The president recently vetoed legislation authorizing construction of the 1,700-mile pipeline, just the third time he has exercised such powers.
The White House insists Obama vetoed the legislation authorizing construction because the State Department review was still ongoing, not because he had decided to block Keystone XL on its merits. However, Obama’s progressive base has long predicted that he would resist efforts to build the Canada-to-Texas pipeline.
The Senate is expected to vote Thursday on whether to override the Obama veto. So far, Republicans have not secured the 67 votes needed to reverse it.
