‘A Republican bill that would strip President Barack Obama of his authority to decide on a Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline raises serious legal questions, the State Department said Wednesday in objecting to the bill.
‘Assistant Secretary of State Kerri-Ann Jones told Congress that the bill “imposes narrow time constraints and creates automatic mandates that prevent an informed decision” on the $7 billion Keystone XL pipeline.
‘The bill, sponsored by Rep. Lee Terry, a Nebraska Republican, would transfer authority over the 1,700-mile (2,700 kilometer) pipeline to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.’
—By MATTHEW DALY via AP
