White House says Obama to rule on Keystone pipeline before leaving office

Reuters
U.S. President Barack Obama speaks to reporters after signing the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 into law in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, November 2, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) - The White House on Monday said it continues to expect that President Barack Obama will make a decision on whether to grant a permit to TransCanada Corp for the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline before he leaves office in January 2017. "Our expectation at this point is that the president will make a decision before the end of his administration on the Keystone pipeline, but when exactly that will be, I don't know at this point," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters traveling on Air Force One. Asked whether the decision could come this year, Earnest said: "It's possible - it's also possible it could happen next year." (Reporting by Jeff Mason; writing by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Doina Chiacu)