Washington, D.C. — 

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement on the five-year anniversary of TransCanada’s application to build the Keystone XL pipeline:

“Five years and four successful environmental reviews have transpired since the Keystone XL pipeline permit was first submitted. As the president yet again ‘pivots’ back to the topic of jobs in a series of speeches this week, what he likely won’t mention is that he is single-handedly holding up a project that would support tens of thousands of jobs and invest billions of dollars in the U.S. economy. With millions of Americans still unemployed, it’s time for the president to stop pandering to his far-left environmental donor base and approve the Keystone XL project.”

Republicans and Democrats from across the country have called on the president to approve the project, which would transport 830,000 barrels of oil per day to U.S. refineries. Although governors from states through which the pipeline would travel all support the project, ultimate approval rests with the State Department and President Obama.