Tenn. Senators React to Pipeline Block

WASHINGTON‭ (‬AP‭) — ‬Tennessee’s‭ ‬Republican‭ ‬Senator’s‭ ‬are‭ ‬reacting strongly to President Barack Obama’s decision to‭, at least temporarily‭, ‬block‭ ‬the‭ ‬$7‭ ‬billion Keystone oil pipeline.

Lamar Alexander‭ ‬says he can’t understand why the president failed to move ahead on a‭ ‬project that would,‭ ‬as the Senator put it,‭ ‬“...make us less reliant on oil from hostile countries.‭”

Senator Bob Corker was even more scathing,‭ ‬saying the president’s decision is‭ ‬election year politics and concluding,‭ “‬...we really need the energy and the jobs.‭”

President Obama says his decision isn't a judgment of the‭ ‬pipeline’s merits.‭ ‬He says he rejected the proposal because‭ ‬the GOP didn’t give his administration enough time to thoroughly consider‭ ‬pipeline plans.

Administration officials say the‭ arbitrary Feb.‭ ‬21‭ ‬deadline‭ ‬didn’t give them enough time‭ ‬to conduct environmental reviews.

The‭ ‬1,700-mile‭ ‬pipeline would carry oil from tar sands in western Canada to refineries in Texas,‭ ‬passing through‭ ‬seven Western states along the way.