Montana officials are expressing disappointment and outrage over the Obama administration’s rejection of the Keystone Pipeline construction permit.
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said denying the permit was an “affront to the American people.”
“It has taken more than seven years for President Obama to come clean with the American people and admit his anti-energy and anti-American-jobs agenda,” Daines said in a statement Friday. “President Obama had an opportunity to help create good-paying jobs with the construction of the Keystone pipeline, but instead he chose to blatantly disregard the economic needs of this nation, the need for good-paying jobs, like union jobs, energy costs for Montana families and the will of the American people.”
U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., said rejecting the pipeline was just wrong.
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., called the delayed Keystone project and its eventual rejection a missed opportunity for Montana. Tester asked President Obama to approve Keystone in 2010.
“I’m disappointed with the president’s decision. After dragging his feet for years on the Keystone pipeline, the president missed an opportunity to strengthen America’s energy security. This decision prevents more good-paying Montana jobs and ensures that we continue to do business with hostile countries in the Middle East. ”
Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock said rejecting Keystone hurt Montana’s economy.
“President Obama’s decision to deny approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline is wrong and bad for Montana,” Bullock said. “The jobs, economic benefit and energy security the pipeline would afford Montana, especially Eastern Montana, are now lost due to the dysfunction that has come to define Washington, D.C.”