Since when does a President decide on his own whether or not a pipeline gets built? What the hell is wrong with the voters in this country who have allowed this perversion to permeate our three-branched system of government and our free market economy? Hell, why is the government being entrusted with responsibility for ANY kind of investment decision in the private sector? What "skin" does it have in the game? What happened to the concept of private venture capital? More to the point, why are we so quiet when the news media continues the mantra of the federal government doing this or that to create jobs? How can the government create anything? It can print money. That's all it can do. It has no "bottom line", it doesn't need to show a profit, it can't be fired for doing a lousy job (don't make me laugh about the ballot box scam), no shareholders to answer to. It's a loose cannon. It's like we're living in Soviet Russia. A government CANNOT run a free market economy. It's been proven over and over again on the world stage. Why is everyone so ignorant as to the historical failure of governments to control economies? WHY do we have to go through this lesson afresh in the U.S., destroying the country in the process?
Oil/gas pipelines crossing international borders requires State Department approvals due to the import/exports. State Department works for the Executive Branch, hence the President can force the approval/denial. This is not the case for pipelines within the US border although other Federal Permits will apply.