President Barack Obama on Tuesday vetoed a Republican-backed Keystone XL oil pipeline bill. Obama vetoed the bill shortly after it arrived at the White House from the Senate.

The veto came as no surprise as Obama has made his position clear against the Keystone project since it was proposed more than six years ago.

Shortly before the veto, White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters of the president’s plans. “The president does intend to veto this piece of legislation and we intend to do it without any drama or fanfare or delay,” he said.

House Speaker John Boehner lashed out Obama’s decision in a statement. “The president’s veto of the Keystone jobs bill is a national embarrassment,” he said and accused Obama of being “too close to environmental extremists to stand up for America’s workers.”

Republicans have long argued that the $8 billion project would create thousands of jobs and make the U.S. more energy independent.

Democrats and environmental groups, however, oppose to the project, citing a global warming threat, even though a State Department review said the pipeline would not worsen the problem.

“It’s very good for Canadian oil companies, and it’s good for the Canadian oil industry but it’s not going to be a huge benefit to U.S. consumers, it’s not even going to be a nominal benefit to U.S. consumers,” Obama said in December.

Under a current Republican majority, the Senate voted Jan. 29 to authorize the construction of the controversial pipeline, but fell five votes shy to clear a presidential veto.

Tuesday’s veto is not the end for Keystone discussion as Obama still may approve the project once regulatory and environmental studies are completed. (Anadolu Agency)

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