Washington, 24 February 2015 (TSR) – President Barack Obama on Tuesday vetoed legislation authorizing construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, rebuffing the new Republican-led Congress amid a furious battle over Homeland Security funding.
The veto — just the third of Obama’s presidency and his first of major legislation — was made in private and without fanfare, reflecting tensions in the Democratic Party over whether the controversial pipeline should be approved.
“Through this bill the United States Congress attempts to circumvent longstanding and proven processes for determining whether or not building and operating a cross-border pipeline serves the national interest,” Obama said in his veto statement.
“The presidential power to veto is one I take seriously … and because this act of Congress conflicts with established executive branch procedures and cuts short thorough consideration of issues that could bear on our national interest — including our security, safety and environment — it has earned my veto,” the U.S. president said.
