President Obama Rejects Keystone Pipeline

President Barack Obama announced his decision Friday to reject the Keystone XL pipeline proposal, saying it will not serve the national interests of the U.S. 

Obama said the pipeline would not make a meaningful, long-term contribution to the public.

The controversial pipeline has undergone seven years of review and debate. 

Obama says the pipeline has played an “over-inflated role” in political discourse. 

The president says the U.S. is a serious leader when it comes to taking action against climate change, and approving the pipeline would have undercut that global leadership. 

The move comes as the White House continues to promote an environmental agenda to combat climate change. 

The proposed pipeline would have ran nearly 1,200 miles from Canada to Texas, transporting 800,000 barrels of oil daily to the Gulf Coast. 

TransCanada first applied for a permit for the $2.5 billion project in 2008.