Obama to fast-track part of Keystone XL pipeline

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http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-fast-track-part-keystone-xl-pipeline-233205036.html

By Olivier Knox | The Ticket – Tue, Mar 20, 2012

Under fire over sky-high gas prices, President Barack Obama embarks Wednesday on a two-day trip to defend his energy policy from a Republican onslaught linking his policies to Americans feeling pain at the pump. He will announce plans to fast-track the permit process for the southern portion of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, according to CNN

The White House announced last week that Obama would use a stop in Cushing, Okla., on Thursday to highlight his support for the southern portion of the pipeline after he blocked the overall project amid anger from environmentalists. Republicans have used the issue to bludgeon Obama's energy policy, blaming him for the high cost of filling up at the pump.

Now CNN reports, citing "a source familiar with the president's announcement," that Obama will announce in Cushing that his administration will put the southern section of Keystone on the fast-track to approval. "The permit process for a project like this can typically take a year or more. The source familiar with the president's announcement says the administration could shave several months off that timeline," says the network.

Administration officials declined to confirm the report, though one senior Obama aide told reporters to expect that the president will make some news on the trip.

If confirmed, the decision would seem likely to anger environmentalists—and do little to quiet Republican criticisms—and is unlikely to lead to an immediate fall in gas prices. But it could reinforce the White House's argument that Obama supports an "all of the above" energy policy, including the exploitation of domestic oil and natural gas deposits.

Republicans immediately mocked the plan, with a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, Brendan Buck, comparing it to "a governor personally issuing a fishing license."